


Rise of Darkness

by InHailz



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Game of Thrones Fusion, Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Dark Arts, Dark Magic, Multi, Rape, Schizophrenia, Torture, no happy ending, tragic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-08-11 14:45:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16477547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InHailz/pseuds/InHailz
Summary: The distant ancestor of Tom Riddle, Safrina Rockwood, becomes the most powerful and notorious witch of her time. With the constant coaching of the voices in her head, she endures her hardships and sets out to become the most powerful being alive at any cost. This is the story of her journey to creating the Dark Arts and Rising from the Darkness.





	1. Alone

She awoke in the early hours of the morning before the sun. Anya, the alpha being in her world, appeared at the foot of her bed. The familiar shadow figure, with what looks to have black flames surrounding it, slowly glided over towards her until it was right beside her pillow. It was then that Safrina knew that she would endure another sleepless night. 

Her blue/grey eyes clamped shut as she waited for Anya to speak their piece quickly; as she does not want to be thrown back into the all-consuming darkness of The Pit again.

"Tonight is the night little one. Tonight is the night that your destiny begins." hissed the shadow. Just as the child's eyes snapped open, the being disappeared, and an erratic knocking rasped on her bedroom door.  

With a shaky voice she called out, "Mama?" but to her dismay, the door opened to reveal five men dressed in long, dark brown robes with black hooded cloaks. She began to scream until her mother burst through the men with a pleading look on her face.

"Safrina, there is no need to be scared, my child. These men are here to help you with the  _special_ friends in your head." her mother assured. But something was wrong. Worry touched her mother's eyes despite her otherwise calm demeanor. As her mother went to grab a cloak to cover her nightshift, her father strode through and roughly picked her up out of bed and practically threw her into the arms of the five men. 

Instantly, Safrina started thrashing and screaming as the men dragged her down the spiraling staircase that held her bedchamber at the top. When she felt the backhand strike her face and heard the ringing in her ears, she realized that she was not going to break free. Slowly the ringing began to morph into laughing as she listened to the familiar voice of Anya booming in her ear. At the sound, she immediately went limp and let the men take her out to the carriage waiting for them outside. Right before they opened the carriage doors, she chanced one last glance towards her mother. Her father clamped his arms around her Mother's waist as she fought against him, spewing out apologies her daughter's way, through her sobs.

The slow and painful realization slapped her in the face. For Safrina knew she was alone in the world. Her parents knew this was going to happen, and yet they simply let the strange men take their only child away, into the night.

 ~~~

 The overwhelming empty feeling began to creep up on her in the cramped carriage. Knowing that this was the introduction of The God of Nothing, rather than attempting to evade it like she usually did, she let it consume her, thrusting her entirely into The Pit.

Inside The Pit, she felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing, and lost all concept of time and self. The Pit was a chasm created by The God of Nothing, designed originally as a means for the Gods to discipline and torture her. After the short six years of her life, however, and after the betrayal of her parents, she's embraced it. Now for the first time, she's using it to her advantage. 

 ~~~

 Safrina awakens from The Pit only to discover that she is in perhaps, an even crueler one. One in which fills up her lungs and suffocates her. One in which she is sweating profusely. Sweating _? No. It's all-consuming. It's water! She is surrounded by water! Drowning!_ Then, as quickly as it came Its gone. She's finally able to rid her lungs of the water through an aggressive coughing fit. 

 ~~~

 Deep blue eyes watch as the dark red haired child's body aggressively convulsing with the intense coughing fit. Fortunately, the water seemed to work to bring the young child out of her stupor. According to the men that retrieved her, she is six years of age, the daughter of Henry and Selene of house Rockwood, and for some unknown reason, was arranged to be taken away by the Rockwood's themselves. Perplexed, the man absentmindedly ran his fingers through his short and curly dark locks atop his head.

Marcus Dumbledore, headmaster of the Orphanage for the Wizards and Witches of the Realm, set to interrogate the child in front of the council, due to the high born status and mysterious circumstances of her case.

"Safrina of house Rockwood," Dumbledore drawled in a regal voice, "State your motives of your presence here today." His long, stark black hair and matching beard intimidated the child.

It took everything in his power for the deep blue-eyed man not to clench his hands and roll his eyes in annoyance with the headmaster for the poor girl was just a child. Of course, she is unknowing of her parent's actions.

"It would seem, my parents, my lord have abandoned me," Safrina stated in a soft voice, maintaining eye contact with the headmaster the entire time. The man's blue eyes snapped to the girl. Taken aback by the bold six years old's statement, he starts assessing the girl in a new light.

"And what brought you to this conclusion child?" scoffed Marcus in a demeaning tone. Transfixed by the child, the man with blue eyes continued his never-ending gaze upon the child. Typically, he was much more composed during council meetings, but his curiosity bested him, and he found himself hypnotized by the child.

"The Gods my lord." muttered the child with a touch of annoyance in her voice. 

Puzzled, Marcus replied, "Which Gods child?"

"Anya, the God of Darkness, Valladon, the God of Anger, and the nameless God of Nothing of course."

"Do these Gods talk to you often Safrina?" interjected the man with his somehow even darker blue eyes.

"Exander." Dumbledore warned in a disproving tone, "You will do well not to speak out of turn."

"Pardon my lord, but it would seem that this child may be in need of my _expertise,"_ replied Exander, with unwavering blue eyes still fixated on Safrina.

"Very well, Lord Exander Sky." with that, Dumbledore nodded towards the five men, communicating without words to take Safrina away, into a single room under Exander's authority.  

 ~~~

 Still disoriented from the brutal water splashing earlier, the older men surrounding the table before her seemed to go from utter disinterest to bewilderment. All except one. The man looked a bit younger than the rest. His hair was dark with no trace of graying in it, and his sharp features did not seem as worn out around their edges as his colleges did. The eyes, stark blue as the ocean in the night, were hard to miss as he downright stared at her the entire time. For whatever reason, the council deemed _him_ to be the best caregiver for her. A sentiment that terrified her almost as much as the Gods. Almost. Suddenly, Anya's voice that was coaching her through the meeting changed, and Valladon, The God of Anger, took over.

A flash of red took over her eyes, and the council seemed to notice the change. The grown men seemed to look slightly fearful for a moment until they composed themselves. Safrina took this opportunity to bring Valladon's words to light as she began spewing insults and profanities at the _men._  Once her eyes fell on Lord Sky on the far left of the table, she noticed he was not scared nor fearful of her. He donned a curiously knowing smirk on his face that stopped her in her tracks, and left her utterly terrified. The men once again were able to carry the puzzling child away at last. She was taken to her new dwellings without incident. 

 ~~~

 Her new solitary room was extremely small compared to most, and extremely modest in comparison to what she once called her bedchambers. The long room was long and narrow and only had one small window of light. Along the right wall was a simple wooden desk and chair. Along the left, was a trunk. At the very back wall with the window, was a lumpy mattress with the headboard situated underneath it. The room indeed was of modest means. With a sigh, she stalked over to her bed, only to discover it had no pillow and the thinnest blanket she had ever seen. 

Interrupting her thoughts, she turned to the door to see a small slot open and stale bread thrown inside. Remembering the emptiness of her stomach, she bounds over to the food. With great difficulty, she manages to consume a few measly bites until her throat dries up from the lack of moisture, and her baby teeth become to sore to attempt to snag another bit of the rock-hard bread.

Frustrated, hungry, cold, and hurt, she throws the bread at the door and collapses to the ground in the middle of the room. The complex emotions are taxing on the child and sobs course through her small frame. She begs for the comforting darkness of The Pit. The emptiness never comes, however, and she is left with the overwhelming mix of emotions with no end in sight. That's when she feels the arms of a stranger envelop her. Momentarily thrown off by the unexpected contact, she freezes as she thinks its a ghost.

"There there, my sweet child. I am not going to hurt you." sang Exander. Safrina didn't hear him come in. Anya was quick to berate her for not listening to her surroundings. Afraid of both Exander and her voices, she becomes mute with fear and could only break out of his embrace and look at him with wide eyes. Sensing her apprehension, he attempts another approach, "I imagine your quite hungry?" This peaks Safrina's interest as her eyes light up with the prospect of a decent meal. Satisfied with her response, Lord Sky snaps his fingers, and a servant with a tray of meat and potatoes walks in with a goblet of water, and places them on the wooden table. No sooner than the meal is set down, Safrina runs to the table and in a very unladylike way, scarfs down the meal. With a chuckle, Lord Sky leaves the room.

By the time night falls, exhaustion takes over, and Safrina welcomes the nightmares in store for her tonight.


	2. Non-Magicals

_It started with the smell. The familiar scent of  Safrina's father's musky smell filled her senses. Then came sight. Her eyes flickered open to see her father's stoic eyes boring into hers. Safrina yelped at the unexpected closeness of her father. At that, her father's face changed, morphing into her mother's._

_"Mama?", she tentatively asked._

_"Yes little one," her mother confirmed, "I'm here."_

_Then, as sudden as her mother appeared, she vanished. It was then that she realized she was surrounded in darkness. Her first instinct was to assume she was in The Pit. The numb feeling, however, was not clouding her mind. Anya's voice told her that The God of Nothing was not currently active. With that Safrina realized that she was laying on a hard floor. She clambered to her feet in a disoriented state. With here arms outstretched in front of her, she began slowly shuffling her feet forwards. That's when she heard another voice that didn't belong in her head, but to a man, she knew all too well._

_"Best leave them behind darling," Lord Sky hissed as he whispered into her ear, "I'm the only one you will ever need."  Safrina turned to Lord Sky and was met with a sinister smile. Though she should have been frightened at that, she wasn't. She felt an odd sense of security course through her. Sensing Safrina questioning her judgment at such a short statement, Anya's voice sounded again, soothing the child and commending her change of heart towards the persuasive man._

 

~~~

 

Safrina's eyes snapped open. Valladon's voice boomed in her ear.  _Fool! Your pathetic dreamlands will be the death of you if you're not careful! You cannot trust him! You cannot trust anyone but us!_ His voice was deafening. She began trembling in her bed as she sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, trying to be even smaller that she already was. She wished at that moment that she could be so little, she would cease to exist. Finally looking up from her knees after her beratement, she saw that a boiled egg, a slice of warm bread, and water were waiting for her on her small table. It wasn't much, but she devoured it, all the same, knowing it was from Lord Sky due to the freshness of the food. 

 

~~~

 

After leaving Safrina to her dinner, Exander proceeded promptly to Dumbledore's solar. 

"Exander!" exclaimed Marcus in a friendly tone, indicating that this was going to be more of a casual discussion than before, "Just the man I needed to see!"

Hearing the headmaster's tone, Exander matched and replied, "To what do I owe the pleasure of my visit from a dear friend?" hiding his impatience and trying to hint at the headmaster to get to the point subtly.

"I have a proposition for you. One in which I can trust only to you." Marcus answered, donning a suddenly serious tone. 

"I'm listening."

"Non-magicals are beginning to threaten our orphanage. The rumors of wizards and witches being sold as slaves in the Eastern Regions have managed to reach our side of the world. Though it hasn't happened yet, I fear our institution will be an easy target for non-magicals to attack once the concept of slavery begins to take root here." 

"Ah, I see." Exander kept his face in a concerned expression. However, he was seething with the thought of someone using his new pupil as a slave. "This news is troubling in deed, but I'm not sure how I alone can help." though Exander knew that if anything happened, he would take Safrina and flee immediately, abandoning everyone else.

"We lack defenses. We have no way of protecting ourselves and the children. We need our an army of our own if we are to have any hope at protection. I need you Exander, to forge alliances. We need to call upon the Lords around us and acquire soldiers."

Exander scoffed at the ridiculous proposal. "An army to protect an orphanage? You must be joking! No Lord in their right mind would ever agree to that."

"We are the only orphanage for magical children in the entire region Sky. All Lords make donations to us and us only regarding charity. We have something that no man can resist--gold. I need you Exander, to negotiate with the houses to protect everything I have created over the last 30 years. This orphanage is my life's work. This place cannot fall."

"And why do you think I am the perfect person to do this?"

"Motivation. Since you came to me all those years ago as a boy, you were always motivated to excel based on status. If you accept this proposal, you will no longer be a Sky, labeling you as an orphan from the mountains where the earth touches the sky, for I will restore you back to your families name, Holt."

Exander's mind raced though his calm demeanor would never show it. Taking a moment, he called upon the voice in his head for advice. Yes, he too has a voice in his head. As a child, he had nearly 10. Over time, however, he managed to wean out the non-productive ones while schooling the rest into one singular voice — one that  _he_ controlled, instead of the voice controlling him. 

The voice agreed that this would be a wasted opportunity if he does not seize it. His voice had always wanted him to be more that what he was. He was a child from a family slowly dying out from one particularly harsh winter. After watching his baby sister and older brother succumb to starvation, his parents both agreed to take Exander to the orphanage at age 13 in hopes that he would survive. On the desperate couple's journey back to the mountains, however, they were robbed and killed, and because Exander's name was automatically changed to Sky upon arrival, the Holt name died forever, though it was never much to begin with. 

Frustrated that the headmaster knew how to play him into doing this long and outlandish task, his need to reclaim his name, and eventually make it into so much more than it once was, was stronger. 

Marcus smirked as Exander gave him a look of acceptance on his face.

 

~~~

 

As Exander retired to his bed for the night, thankful to be horizontal after working out the details for this long quest, his thoughts were of Safrina. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that there was more than meets the eye when it came to her. In truth, he saw a bit of himself in her. Both were misunderstood, underestimated, and had an edge that no one else did; voices. Unlike Safrina, he knew early on that he was to tell no one of what went on in his head. He also realized that he could use them to his advantage once he gained control over them. These were things he resolved to teach Safrina before leaving in one year. Her young age was worrisome. However, he had faith in his new little muse. 

Making a mental note in his mind to get her whatever decent food was available in the morning sent to her, he also decided it was best to inform her of her stripped title of Rockwood, and her new titless name. 

Eventually, his mind could no longer keep up with his constant planning, and he drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

    

 

 


	3. Professor

After eating and getting ready for the day, Safrina headed outside as she had a bit of free time allotted by the institution in the mornings. She saw the mass of the other kids and was instantly self-conscious. Safrina had never had a proper interaction with another child before. She didn't know why, but her father forbade it profusely, and her mother told her that the other kids would not understand her. A slim, taller boy with dark brown curls that were beginning to look shaggy strode up to her then. Safrina went rigid. She tried to reason with herself to calm down, but it was no use. The boy seemed slightly uncomfortable as well. Safrina took comfort in that.

"D-Do you wanna play?" the boy stuttered.

Safrina's mind went blank, and she let Anya's voice take over her own when responding to the boy. "And would you want to play with a girl like me child?" Safrina realized then that Anya had no intentions of letting her play with the boy. She was slightly disappointed but thought it was for the best anyway. 

The slender boy's eyes went wide at the unexpected comment, though there seemed to be a spark of hope in them. "I'm different too you know. The others think I'm funny looking and weak. They say I'm too dull to prefer books over their games. But maybe we can be different together?" Safrina's eyes lit up at that.

"So you hear them too? The voices I mean. The three Gods?" Valladon was furious. She could feel him easing his way into her mind, but before he was able to start with his blows, she quickly blurted out, "I hear them all the time. No one else seems to but me. It's nice to know someone else has the gift of hearing the Gods as well."

The boy went pale. That was not what he meant when he said he was different at all. With an accusatory finger pointed at her he shouted, "Crazy! Crazy! Crazy! Crazy! This ginger is a crazy one, I swear it!" Other kids began to swarm the pair and Safrina began to panic. She couldn't get a full breath of air and tremors began rolling through her small frame. Now Valladon's voice was the loudest its ever been in her head.  _ **You insolent fool!  How dare you cross us!  You are worthless! You cannot even follow basic**_ **commands!** ****The other kids joined in then chanting, "Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!" at her. _ **You deserve this child. You deserve all the punishment in this world!**_ Between the boom of Valladon's screams and the children's mantra, Safrina's knees gave out and she fell to the ground, as well as into the depths of The Pit. 

 

~~~

 

Exander concealed himself in the shadows of the halls surrounding the courtyard where the children played. He wanted to see how Safrina would behave around the other children. He spotted her instantly, as her blood red hair was a stark contrast against the grey of the stone building and sky. She looked quite small in comparison to the other kids her age. He knew she was only six, but she looked almost like a toddler rather than a young child. She Seemed to be fairing okay until Kenneth Ocean, an eight year old from the islands, approached her. He was a rather frail looking boy and kept to himself most of the time. Exander thought that perhaps he would be a good companion for his dear Safrina. That was until his eyes flickered back to her. He watched as her whole body seemed to tense up as Kenneth mumbled something to her. Safrina's face went blank, similar to her expression she wore when she had first arrived; before the water was poured on her. He knew then, that it wasn't quite her who responded. Exander knew he should have stepped in, should have carefully guided her away from the boy before the secret of her ailment got out. Once again however, his curiosity bested him and he waited to see how she would handle herself in this situation. Wanting to be able to hear the exchange, he quickly changed locations to a dark corner of the halls that was closer to the pair. That's when he heard it.

 "I'm different too you know. The others think I'm funny looking and weak. They say I'm dull to prefer books over their games. But maybe we can be different together?", Kenneth said. Safrina's expression changed in a flash as she came back into her self. Exander knew that she misunderstood what the boy meant by _different._ Still, his feet remained rooted to the spot as he listened to her response.

"So you hear them too? The voices I mean. The three Gods? I hear them all the time. No one else seems to but me. It's nice to know someone else has the gift of hearing the Gods as well."

 _Fuck._ Exander thought to himself. He knew then and there that he practically fed Safrina to the wolves by leaving her to fend for herself. Just when he stepped out of the darkness to come to her aid, professor Gina Lywood stopped him. She had just started her position as a professor about a year ago and was the first female to join the faculty. Due to her lack of experience, she often turned to him for help as he was the most approachable man on the grounds. Not wanting to be rude, he reluctantly turned towards her to help. It was then that the commotion began. The whole courtyard surrounded the girl as if she was a piece of meat, and they were starving. He didn't even think. Without hesitation, he forced his way through the children and picked up his dear Safrina off the stone floor, and carried her to her room. 

 

~~~

 

Safrina awoke in her bed, wrapped tightly in quite a few wool blankets compared to what she started with yesterday. 

"Welcome back," Exander said gently.

Her head turned towards him, sitting in the chair by her table and facing her. She took a moment to take in his pose. He sat with one ankle up on his opposite knee and had both hands resting on the arms of the chair. His were knuckles white with the force he was gripping the chair with. His eyes, on the other hand, seemed to be soft and full of concern.

"What happened?" Safrina asked softly, "The last thing I remember was hitting the ground."

Tilting his head to the side, he said, "That was pretty much it, little one. You seemed to have blacked out, so I took you straight here."

"How long has it been?" she asked, slowly sitting up from her pillows.

"Couple of hours really."

Safrina scoffed at that. She couldn't believe that another day went by wasted, thanks to The God of Nothing. Over the past two days, she'd spent more time unconscious than she did awake. 

"Now that your awake little one, we should talk about some things," Exander noted. The whole time she was asleep he never left her side. He canceled all of his seminars and meetings for the day to watch a child sleep. He didn't know why he was so drawn to the girl, but after seeing her in such a state of helplessness for so long, he'd accepted it, and resounded to protect her at all costs. Because he was to leave her though, he knew he had to teach her as much as possible before he left so that she doesn't have another repeat of today's events without him there to save her. He would waste no more time and thought it best to start as soon as she woke up.

To his surprise, she nodded and got out from under the covers at once, readying herself for the discussion. After a few beats, she nodded to him in a gesture to proceed.

"You do realize your at an orphanage right Safrina?" He asked.

"Of course. We'd already been over this."

"And do you know what happens when a child is taken here?"

"She gets taken care of?"

Exander paused at that. Telling a six-year-old that all ties to their family and wealth are removed was not going to be easy. He wanted to coddle her and break it to her gently. But he knew he couldn't afford that luxury. Not with the little time they had left. Not after he'd seen the consequence of letting his emotions cloud his judgment. He couldn't let her be a child. She would not survive without him if he did. She had to learn to survive this place on her own if she were to have any chance of making it out as he did. He knew that he had to take away the illusion of her childhood right now. It pained him to do it. 

"No. The child does not get taken care of. The child gets the bare minimum amount of care needed to survive. Nothing more. You'll get rations of food, grueling lessons to read and write to learn to control your magic, rags for clothes, and these four walls," he gestured with his hands to the room, "for the next ten years." He saw the panic in her eyes.

"But momma--" Safrina started.

"No Safrina." he knelt before her to be on her level and peered into her eyes, "Forget everything you once had as Safrina Rockwood. That life and the people in it are dead. You are now Safrina Riddle. An orphan from the Riddlewood Forest, with no parents, no title, and no momma. Understand?"

Safrina nodded. He'd expected her to cry but she didn't. Safrina always knew something bad was going to happen to her because that's what she deserved. The Gods had always warned her of this. Now it was happening. There was no reason to fight it.  _See child? You can only trust us. We have never been wrong. We have always helped you. Now you must learn to obey us. It will only help you._  At the sound of Anya, she knew that that was all she had. Her Gods.

"Good." Exander said firmly, "Now, about those voices--"

"I know. I am to never speak of them again. No one will believe the Gods have chosen me anyway, now that I'm just another bastard child." She interjected.

"I hear them too." Exander said, grasping her by her arms, "Truly I do. But I learned to control them. Then, they turned into one. One that only comes out when called upon. I believe you Safrina, but they have to remain our little secret. No one else can ever know about our secrets understand?"

"Yes," Safrina whispered. If Exander weren't so close, he would have missed it.

"You were put in my care because they wanted me to rid you of those voices. That is what I'm known for-- Dealing with the sickness of the mind. But this is not a sickness little one. This is a gift — one that others won't understand. Over the next few months our sessions will be to help you tame the voices. If we are going to keep this up, you will have to lie. You will have to tell them that your voices are gone. That the only voice in your head is your own. Otherwise, I cannot help you." With that he rose back up to his full height and left the room. 

Safrina was stunned. Just yesterday she was in the care of her parents in a castle in the trees. Today she was a different person entirely. She learned quickly that the girl she was just a day ago was weak and empty-headed. The girl she was now, was one that she was determined to make into the most influential person she can be. Just needed to decide how.

On the one hand, she had her Gods-- Gods that chose her, Gods that saved her time and time again. If she followed their commands, she was sure to survive this hell hole shes found herself in. On the other, she had the professor. The only other person she's ever known who not only believed her but had a voice of his own, tucked away in his head. Every voice in her head begged her not to trust him, including her own. Something about him drew her in despite all that. And she couldn't ignore the way in which he treated her. She never really experienced traditional fatherly love but if she had, she imagined it would be something like this.  

As if on cue, a servant walked in and left a plate of food on her table before slipping out without a word. Safrina smiled to herself as she made her way towards the food. Her decision was made.

 

 

__


	4. Voices

Throughout the next few months, Safrina dedicated herself entirely, to her new friend's lessons. Exander was pleased with the enthusiasm, but he was still apprehensive of the hold her "Gods," as she says, still held over her. Her perception of reality wasn't as outlandish and extreme as his other patients were. She hadn't created a different world for herself at all. Her voices were simply in her head and very rarely made "appearances" in the physical form. The lessons, though scheduled to be long four sessions every day, seemed to only be productive for maybe an hour if they were lucky until the voices grew too strong and forced her into "The Pit," as she calls it. Thus, progress was agonizingly slow. Exander was slowly growing more and more frustrated with the date of his departure approaching. Remembering the time, he became even more furious, as Safrina was running a little late.

"I'm here! I'm here professor! I'm so sorry! I was--" Safrina trailed off when she saw the look on her professor's face. He was not happy. She knew he wouldn't be. She was only late once before when she fell ill. She told the maester to inform Lord Sky of her state, and assumed that she could take the day off to rest. She was wrong. She awoke to a summons to his solar moments later, and was all but dragged by the cloaked men to him. She was never late again. Not until now.

Exander rose and rounded his desk over to Safrina. His almost black eyes bore straight into her sorrowful grey ones. After one look into her eyes, his anger evaporated. 

Seeing his eyes soften, Safrina took a step back and took a seat in her usual place right in front of his desk. "These voices Safrina, have entirely too much power. I don't care if it takes all night, we are going to conquer The Pit _today._ I will call for an entire basin of water if necessary." Exander declared.

With an audible gulp, Safrina braced herself as the familiar numb feeling crept upon her already. Her Gods are quick to rebel in response to his threat. Internally she cursed the stubborn Gods. She knew she would never be able to fully let go of the comfort their control had over her, but her professor didn't have to know that. The Pit, however, made things increasingly difficult for her to keep up her facade.

 

~~~

 

"Here come the voices again." Safrina chocked out through tears for the fifth time that night. They'd been at it for hours. Light began to peak out on the horizon, but still, Exander pushed on. He could see the exhaustion plainly on the child's face. Exander on the other had was wide awake, sheer adrenaline coursing through his veins. Safrina may be too tired to fight the voices, but Exander wasn't and would fight her voices as hard as he fought his all those years ago. 

"Fight back Safrina! This is your mind! Not theirs!" Exander boomed. 

Safrina pushed the heels of her hands into her ears to try to ease all the noise. She couldn't differentiate what was in her head and what wasn't anymore. Tears continued to stream down her face as she screamed, "When will the voices in my head just stop and let me rest? I can’t take it!"

"Your stronger than they are!" Exander shouted as he took the child's face into his hands. His thumbs worked furiously to wipe away the tears erratically flowing down her face. 

Safrina's eyes snapped open at the feel of his warm hands on her cheeks. She was taken aback by the proximity of his face. She could smell the rum on his breath and see the sheen of sweat across his forehead. When her grey eyes locked with his deep blues, she felt clarity. In an instant, she willed the voices to stop. She couldn't explain how, or where her strength even came from at that point. She half expected the voices to humor her. But they didn't come back. She could no longer feel their lingering presence either. Relieved and slightly panicked, she spoke.

"They- They've gone. They're not in my head. I can't find them!" She rasped. At the realization, Exander smiled in triumph. Safrina couldn't help herself as she bounced around the room in glee. She wept in both joy and laughter as she cheered. Nothing was going to spoil this moment for her.

Exander watched his little one fully immersed in her unbidden celebration. He let her have this. Have at least one moment to create some form of a happy memory from this place. He knew there wouldn't be another. He beamed with pride himself, as he watched the young six years old celebrate her impressive victory against her stubborn "friends." 

She was so engrossed in her victory dance that she didn't even notice one of his handmaidens come in until he asked her what she wanted to eat to break her fast for the morning. 

"Berry pie!" she exclaimed quickly. Exander smirked at her and sent off his handmaiden to fetch a berry pie for breakfast. 

 

After scarfing down her freshly baked pie, Safrina couldn't help herself as exhaustion took over her body while still at the table. Seeing her body begin to slump to the right, Exander bounded over to her and caught her before she fell out of her chair. He carried her over to a couch next to the window. It acted as a day bed. Resting her head on a cushion and throwing a fur over her, he watched as she nestled in happily in her dreamlike state. She resembled a sleeping kitten with her curled up position, and almost purring sounds. He decided to let her sleep there in his solar, as she would have to be back at the end of the day again anyway. The routine of the orphanage was on pause for the day so as to give the children a brief break, leaving Exander the day to get extra work done without interruption. He envied the sleeping redhead as his exhaustion tugged at his eyes too. But Lord Sky wasn't one to waste time on a nap, no matter how much it was needed. As long as the sun was up, he would be too. 

 

~~~

 

Safrina awoke hours later, among the cushions and furs of the hastily made bed. Confused that she was not in her room, she looked around and realized she was still in her professor's solar. He, however, was nowhere in sight. After stretching the sleepy daze away, she got up from the cushions and began to wander around the room. She always wondered what Lord Sky worked so tirelessly on, apart from her. With a glance to the door, she decided to investigate. 

Most of the scrolls on top seemed to be meaningless numbers all jumbled together. Nothing in plain sight was something she could even begin to understand. With a sigh, she slumped into his large chair. The luxurious chair was quite comfortable, and the scent of her professor lingered. She took a deep breath and breathed in his scent of rum, his sandalwood aftershave, and tobacco from his pipe he always concealed in his pocket. A smell her mind associated with safety and comfort. She fought against herself from falling asleep again and hoped down from his chair to avoid the temptation. On her way down, the clumsy child lost her footing and tumbled to the ground.

It was then that she spotted it. There was a secret drawer on the inside of his desk where there was an opening for his legs. Small fingers tried to pry the drawer open, but to her dismay, it was locked. Upon closer examination, she noticed that it wasn't a traditional key hole that held the lock together. Instead, it seemed to be an imprint of a small object — a mark of what appeared to be a tear drop. She went to work quickly as she searched through all the other drawers of his desk for a tear drop shaped object. Unsuccessful in her rummaging, an idea popped into her head. 

With the spark of that idea, she felt the presence of the Gods make their way back into her head. _You must do it, child. You must uncover the secret he keeps. He cannot be trusted. You'll see._  Anya told her. Safrina did not attempt to curse the voice away. Coupled with exhaustion from the night before, and the overwhelming sense of relief she felt at the sound of their presence, she thought she had to be obedient, and follow through with her risky plan. 

Safrina made her way to the doors of his bedchambers. She hesitated briefly, before throwing the doors open without a second thought to stop her. She knew she was in far over her head and was crossing a very bold line of trust the man had given to her. If things went badly, there would be no turning back. She pressed on.  

 His chambers while grand were shrouded in darkness. The muted colors of grays and black gave the room an almost haunting feeling. Safrina relished in it. It reminded her of the comforts she found in The Pit. It was a place one could embrace the shadows within themselves, rather that hide them away throughout the day.

She noticed that the top corner of his bed didn't seem to lie in the same symmetry as the other three corners. It was a slight difference that most people wouldn't notice from a taller height. However, her short vantage point came in handy then. She went to try to flatten out the mattress, thinking that perhaps Lord Sky didn't notice such a subtle detail. There seemed to be a lump underneath it that wouldn't budge. She reached her small hand under the corner to see what it was. Her hands felt a smooth almost stone-like texture. Extracting the object, she saw that it was in fact, a brilliant blue sapphire in the shape of a tear drop. This was it! She'd found it without even trying. 

She quickly arranged everything back into place on the bed before leaving just as she closed the bedchamber doors. Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching. She concealed the blue sapphire into her cloak quickly, before resuming her facade of slumber on the small couch.

Exander gently shook the already awake child, ignorant to the stone hiding within her clothes. He informed her that he called for a dinner for the two of them to be served in his solar and that he'd planned to resume their lessons shortly after. She received high praise from the Gods in her mind for retrieving the stone, though she knew she wouldn't be satisfied until the contents of the secret chamber under his desk were revealed.    

 


	5. Sapphire

The next morning brought utter chaos to the orphanage. Instead of the usual free time in the morning, the children instead were rounded up into the Great Hall where they usually had their meals and listened to announcements for the day. All the children seemed a bit disoriented by the lack of order. All of the administrators seemed to be unhinged, Marcus and Exander noticeably more so than the rest. Several of them seemed to be arguing openly in front of the children, which was not a common occurrence in Dumbledore's orphanage. The conflict caused many of the children to become uneasy. The older and tougher children used this as an opportunity to pounce on the weak. Before long, the children were in an all-out riot and Safrina hid herself behind a curtain in the halls surrounding the room, and made herself small. 

"Silence!" Dumbledore yelled as he struck a lightning blot into the false sky on the ceiling. All commotion stopped immediately at his voice. Once he was satisfied with the amount of silence the room fell to, he ordered for all the children to go to the table of their respected administrators and sit down quietly. The children did as they were told. Safrina remained in her hiding place in the curtains, as ordered by Anya. 

"There has been a crime committed in this castle." Dumbledore started, "Someone has stolen something very valuable and precious from Lord Exander Sky's very own bedchambers. _Thievery_ will NOT be tolerated in this castle. Now, all students will remain here, _silently_. Each and every child's room will be searched by Lord Sky and I personally." The hall filled with whispers and disgruntled groans from the children, but Dumbledore pressed on, slightly louder than before, "This is not a request. And make no mistake, once the item is found, the culprit will be banished from the grounds alone, and  without food and water."

Safrina gulped. She was going to die. She knew that the sapphire was what they were searching for. Absentmindedly, she gripped the stone through her clothes to be sure it was still there. She vowed to never remove herself from her spot. Not that she could even if she wanted to, she was paralyzed with fear. 

As the two men exited the Great Hall, Safrina could have sworn that she thought she saw Exander look pointedly at her spot in the curtains, and shoot a wink her way. But that can't be possible; surely he knew that she was the obvious prime suspect. 

 

~~~

 

Exander knew the second decided to retire for the evening, that the stone was gone. He also knew it was his beloved redhead that took it. Exander was no fool. He knew that she was the only one who could have access to it, though he had trouble admitting it to himself. He'd only left Safrina alone for may a half hour tops, while he informed the kitchen staff of dinner arrangements for the night. He was dumbfounded as to how a young child could find the stone so quickly in his room. He knew that hiding it under his mattress was rather foolish, but the castle was full of foolish people. He could have hidden it in plain sight, if the whole of the council didn't already know about it. He simply refused to believe that she took it, though he knew he was lying to himself. Still, Dumbledore had to be informed of the missing stone immediately. He groaned internally at the prospect of missing yet another nights sleep.

The entire council, and the rest of the administration gathered in the middle of the night to begin interrogations on one another. This is how the entire night went. Grown adults screamed at each other and pointed fingers like children. Exander participated in none of it. He was utterly disgusted with how quickly people were to abandon each other. He met Marcus's gaze and they shared a knowing look. A look that communicated that no one here would ever dare to take it. Exander's reasoning was far more factual than Marcus's however, as he already had all of their rooms searched by his own men, without anyone knowing.

With all of the administration cleared, a decision was made to search the children's rooms. Exander's heart sank when he saw the mess of children in the Great Hall. He spotted Safrina looking utterly terrified, seeking shelter behind the curtain. That would be the last place any of the children would look, and he was pleased for an instant, at how smart her young mind worked. He couldn't lie to himself anymore, Safrina had the stone. If she was found out, she would be banished and lost forever. He couldn't risk that. She'd betrayed him yes, but she didn't know the severity of her findings. Marcus would show no mercy to her despite whatever strings Exander would try to pull. After Marcus announced that Exander would be joining him on the search, he felt relief wash over him. He might be able to find the stone in Safrina's room and hide it in another child's chambers before she was found out. On their way out of the Great Hall, he shot Safrina a wink, hoping to convey that she would be protected by him, and not to worry. 

 

~~~   

 

Hours went by as room after room was torn apart by Marcus, Exander, and a handful of other men. Exander knew his wing of the castle was next and with it, Safrina's quarters. He couldn't risk the others searching it, and requested to merely start the search solo, while the rest finished up the current location. After a few manipulative words, Exander was on his way straight for her room. 

He frantically searched her small room. The bright blue stone should have stood out instantly in the dingy room, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to locate. He knew he didn't have much time left and in a panic, tore her room apart. In a frenzy he flipped over her mattress and tore apart her bedding, emptied her trunk and tipped it upside down-her clothes littering the room, and opened every page of every textbook before casting it away to the floor. He couldn't find it. Defeated, he slumped into the wooden chair. He took a few moments to collect himself. His heart was beating out of his chest at the thought of Safrina, abandoned in the wilds that surrounded the orphanage. Marcus Dumbledore was not a soft man. He had a vision of helping children yes, but never tolerated any form of disobedience from anyone. He has been known to call for several beheadings of men already that had crossed him, and him turning children away was simply his way of killing them while keeping his hands clean. If Exander failed to prove Safrina's innocence, he knew there would be no hope for her, and that he would loose his own life in the process, attempting to protect her. At this point, the stone could simply not be found. With the little time he had left, his only hope was to put everything back in order, and hope that the stone either is hidden very well, or that Safrina has managed to conceal it somewhere in the clothes on her back.   

 

Safrina steadily grew more and more uncomfortable as time ticked by. Not only were her Gods relentlessly chattering in her head, but her anxiety and paranoia were only worsening with the wait. Her fingers, in a tight iron grip on the stone through her clothes, were beginning to cramp-though she wouldn't ease her grasp, and her limbs and back were also beginning to ache in protest to being in the awkward position for so long. The remaining caretakers and children were also starting to grow restless. There was now a quiet chatter between the children, and the professors simply strolled through the isles, seemingly as a tactic to stay awake.

Safrina knew that Marcus and Exander were wasting their time and would find nothing. But Safrina knew her time would come once they began searching the children. No doubt Exander would point her out right away and search her first, chastising her all the while before sending her on her way to her death. She knew she should be thankful for the time the long search allotted her, for this would be her last few moments of comfort before she starves and freezes in the wilderness. Yet she couldn't find it in herself to be thankful to wait to die like an animal, waiting for slaughter. She found that she just wanted to get it over with, before she _truly_ went mad from anticipation.

 

 

Just when Safrina thought she would die, simply from the amount of thoughts and voices swirling around her head alone, she finally saw the men make their long-awaited entrance. She uttered a quiet sigh of relief that was quickly lost once she realized her demise was upon her. Marcus wasted no time, and went straight to the podium to inform everyone of their findings; or lack there of. Exander stood next to him, a few steps behind as was custom, and Safrina noted the subtle mannerisms that were off about the professor. His shoulders were slightly slumped, and his head didn't stand quite as tall on his body. His empty eyes stared straight ahead at her spot in the curtains.  Most people wouldn't notice, or simply blame the differences on exhaustion like most felt themselves, but Safrina knew him. The child learned him, as well as she learned her voices in her head, in order to learn how to please him. She knew that he felt defeated, something she saw in him when the voices were particularly strong in her head during their sessions. 

As the headmaster announced that the children were to be searched individually by their respective guardians, Exander could feel the tension radiating from the small spot in the curtain. He watched, as corner where she hid began to vibrate subtly. She was scared for her life, as was he. He hated himself for allowing this to happen. The pair had grown far too comfortable under his watch and now, both were going to pay with their lives. The potential he saw in her was going to be wasted, all because he left her alone in his chambers; something he's never let anyone do before. In fact, the only people that are even allowed in his dwellings, apart from her, are his handmaidens. Yet he held their lessons there, he let her sleep there, and stupidly left her alone. A fatal mistake that he was desperately trying to rectify. 

 

 

Exander had all his wards lined up outside of the room he does their individual mental sessions in. He knew Safrina wouldn't be in attendance. But that was no matter, he planned to bring her in last anyway. Before long, the line was no more, and Exander proceeded to Safrina's hiding place. As he feared, she was no longer there. He felt the warmth from the stone in which Safrina laid, indicating that she only recently left and couldn't be too far. 

He racked his brain trying to think of where she would go. She was smart enough not to go to her room and he ruled it out quickly. For a fleeting moment, he thought perhaps the library would be the next choice, until he remembered how much she hated it; the librarian had an obvious distaste for her, as he had towards any other girl that he felt didn't know their place in a mans world. The privy's were completely out of the question, as she would often get cornered there, and be relentlessly tormented until marks riddled her body. The only place he could think of was his bedchambers in the end. Safrina would attempt to rectify her wrongs, and as far as her six year old mind was concerned, thought it would go away if she simply put it back where she found it. Exander knew better; due to the current circumstances, his apartments were heavily guarded at all times- which was not the usual protocol. Safrina was unknowingly walking directly into the lions den, so to speak, as the guards would immediately have he searched due to her suspicious arrival. Exander quickly made his way to his solar, hoping he wasn't too late. 

Upon his arrival, he noted the guards begin their interrogation on the young six-year-old. Exander quickly stepped in, stating that he summoned her to his private solar's himself, to preform a more private search of the girl. It was no secret of the favor he had over this girl, so the guards backed off quickly.

Safrina's eyes went wide with terror at his statement. An action that Exander felt tug at his heart- if only for a moment. The last thing he wanted was for his protege to fear  him. Exander simply wanted to speak with the girl in private, blind to the guards and maidens who would notify Dumbledore in a heartbeat, had they found out of her possessions. Currently, everyone except him, saw her as nothing more than a troubled girl. A troubled girl who would amount to nothing. Exander was determined to not only save her, but to help her realize her full potential, if she lived to tell the tail. 

  
Shuffling into the solar, Safrina  swallowed as she fought for as much composure as a six year old could possibly get, while remaining calm. She knew she was simply prolonging her impending doom, but she couldn't help but extend it as much as possible, now that her long-awaited fate was soon to be determined. Safrina did not want to die. She felt she wasn't ready. Yet at the same time, she felt she was not cut out for this world. She felt as if this world had no real place for her. That she was simply existing, rather than destined to make a lasting imprint on this world.

"Take a seat," Exander said curtly. 

Safrina complied quickly.

As Exander took his seat behind his desk, he said, "I know Safrina." 

She said nothing as her mask of calm fell away, her terror plain on her face. Even the Gods she was desperately searching for in her head, seemed to have retreated to the far corners of her mind.  

Exander sighed in exasperation. "Safrina if I wanted you caught, you'd be outside these castle walls as we speak. I simply want the sapphire back." 

Safrina didn't know if she could trust him. She'd severed the small amount of trust they had built over the past few months, in one single moment. Though the Gods were the ones who coaxed her into taking the prized gem, and not Safrina herself, she could never tell him that. Not after all the work, he put into her separating herself from them. 

Exander was still staring at her silently waiting for her response. The warmth that once touched the corner of his eyes when he looked at her was gone. His deep blue eyes were hard as the stone he sought after. She knew that he was right. If he wanted her dead or otherwise, she would be already. She didn't know why she wasn't honestly. With the absence of her Gods wisdom, she had no choice but to trust her own instincts. With shaky hands, she pulled the stone out of her cloak, and placed it on his desk. 

Exander's jaw worked as he stared at the stone. His hands remained clenched in his lap. He sat eerily still, as he glared at the stone in deep contemplation. Safrina began to shake. She'd never seen him this angry before. She curled up in the chair, trying to make herself smaller, as she watched him in all his fury. 

They stayed like that for what felt like eternity to Safrina. It was her soft whimpers that pulled Exander out of his thoughts. Looking up for the first time since the stone was in view, he saw the state Safrina was in. His first instinct was to reassure her, but the thought was quickly replaced once he remembered the reason why she was in that state in the first place. He was angry with her. He took her in and treated her like the prestigious Lady she was, only for her to turn around and steal from him with his back turned. He had one question on the forefront of his mind. 

"Why?" Exander asked in an almost broken voice.

Still, Safrina stayed silent. She still had yet to speak at all, a thought that spurred him on further. 

"I asked you a question Safrina." Exander started, "WHY!?" he finished.

Safrina opened her mouth, willing for anything to tumble out, but not even a breath came to her aid. 

Pushed to the very edge, Exander stood from his desk so fast that his chair fell backward, and proceeded to kneel directly in front of her. They were about eye level at that point, and his eyes bore into hers.

Safrina found clarity in his eyes again. In a voice softer than a whisper, she spoke, "I wanted to see what you do when you don't help me, so I explored your desk and found the chamber under your desk. That's when I noticed the shape of the keyhole. I found that the stone in your room matched the shape, so I took it."

Exander's eyes went wide at that. The girl was too smart for her own good. Her curiosity was innocent enough, but in this place, it would cost her, her life. And if she saw what was inside, no doubt her head would be on a spike; child or not.  

"And did you see what was inside?" Exander asked worriedly.

"No My Lord." She replied, adopting a formal tone. 

With a sigh of relief, Exander rose back up from his crouched position, rounded his desk once more, and picked up his chair to resume his seating. 

"You are never to set foot in my solar again. We are never going to have meetings in here again. You will eat whatever meal the servers place in front of you in the Great Hall with the other children. Consider all the help I've given you, to be over. Your a s _neaky little cat_ , and I will never allow you to betray my kindness again. I've seemed to have underestimated you, but I will never do that again. Now get out." 

His toned remained completely calm as he dismissed her. That scared her more than yelling ever could. Once she was back in her room, The Pit beckoned for her, and she obliged without a second thought. 

 

~~~

 

Despite Safrina's betrayal, he would still protect her. He knew he couldn't have simply found the stone and called of the search, feigning a misplacement. It would be far too curious that it would be found after Safrina's visit. No, he stuck to his original plan and decided to frame someone else. Luckily, he had just the person in mind.     


	6. Distance

The next morning, the children were rounded up once again into the Great Hall. The chaos and disorder from the previous day seemed to have subsided entirely as there was peace among the professors. On instinct, Safrina turned her gaze towards at Lord Sky. He wore a smug smirk on his face while looking in every direction but Safrina's. Anya scolded her for trusting him and drove the child into a panic as a result. Safrina was sure she was doomed. Her worries evaporated once the headmaster spoke. It was then, that she finally looked away from Exander, and saw that a familiar boy was in chains on next to Dumbledore. 

"The thief that has plagued our institution, my children, has been.... _apprehended."_ Dumbledore sneered. The room that usually buzzed with scattered whispers stayed dreadfully silent. 

"Fret not my children. As announced, the culprit will be dealt with accordingly." Dumbledore continued, turning to face the boy, "Kenneth Ocean of eight years of age, you have been charged with robbery from Lord Exander Sky. Do you deny it?"

The weeping boy opened his mouth to speak, but Dumbledore cut him off, "Of course you do boy! You would be foolish not to! But as the evidence stands, the object was found in your shoe last night. Spreading your falsehoods will not save you now boy. Kenneth Ocean, you have been sentenced to exile from The Orphanage for Wizards and Witches of the Realm, to the wilds for the rest of your days." The innocent boy began sobbing then, and quiet tears and sniffles from a few classmates echoed around the Great Hall. 

Safrina locks eyes with Exander, and they share a knowing look. Exander shoots her a wink before resuming his look of indifference at the wall in the back of the hall. Safrina knew she should be horrified, but she smiled to herself as she began eating her cold porridge. _Nothing tastes better than sweet revenge my child._  Anya whispered in her head. 

Exander hoped that she would take Kenneth's exile, as a sign that their alliance still stood. She did. When Exander allowed himself one more look at his little one, he was pleased to see her wicked grin on her face. Apart of him was worried she would find the framing unjust and wrong. But an even bigger part of him knew she would be thrilled with the prospect. Exander initially was going to frame one of his other students, who practically begged for death on a daily basis. He felt he would be doing him a favor if he were to be quite honest. But when the thought of how Kenneth Ocean humiliated her and relentlessly tortured her since her second day here, he couldn't resist sending him to suffer for all the pain he'd caused his dear kitten, Safrina. This would be his last act of kindness he could show Safrina, but perhaps it was the most important one.  

 

~~~

 

The next several months went by slowly. The bond between both Exander and Safrina was forever changed, and a void grew between them. Though Safrina would never admit it, not even to herself, she hated being treated the same as everyone else. Not that she wanted to be spoiled; it was more because she longed for the companionship she got from Exander. It wasn't necessarily the special treatment she received from him, but rather the way he regarded her, and tended to her in a way that she hadn't felt before. She felt like she was important and valuable to someone for the first time in her life. He made her feel special. But now she felt no different from the rest. Slowly the indifference he showed to her morphed into what she perceived to be dread whenever they encountered one another. The change did not go unnoticed throughout the castle. Just as it was known that she received special treatment from him, it was also known that it came to an abrupt stop. Many rumors flew around the castle as to the reasoning behind it, though most believed it was due to the increase in security since the robbery. Her peers however, believed she had done something sinister towards the professor, that sent him cowering away. 

Exander hated himself for how many mistakes he made in regards to Safrina. He soon fell into utter self loathing by his current treatment of her. It pained him to see her afraid of him. It pained him to see her loneliness. It pained him to hear her hoarse voice some mornings, due to her night terrors the night before. It pained him to see the maturity of someone more that twice her age, trapped in the shell of a child. Most of all, it pained him to know that it was all because of him. As much as he wanted to simply send a smile at least her way, he couldn't let himself. He was to leave in a moons turn at this point, and needed her to learn to seek comfort within herself, before his departure. 

The now seven-year-old girl, was, however, learning so much more from him in recent months. She made more strides now that the distraction of his favored treatment was gone. He was quite proud of how far curious kitten had come. The Gods seemed to be of use to her when she needed them in his eyes. Safrina knew the truth though. The Gods weren't bending to her will. The trio and Safrina were merely growing accustomed to each other, as they mapped out their surroundings; learning the desires and darkest secrets of those around her, and using the information to please them to gain favor. Yes, the seven-year-old hand already begun learning how to manipulate those around her. A skill that would prove most useful in the years to come. 

 

~~~

 

"The wheelhouse is prepared and ready for departure Milord. We may proceed whenever you see fit." Exander's newly appointed squire announced. 

"Very well, Podrick. I will meet you at the wheelhouse shortly." Exander said dismissively.

Exander had one more errand to run before he left. One he must do alone. 

When he stood outside of Safrina's doors, he hesitated. He now knew that he would never see her again. He was careful not to tell her about his departure, in hopes that it would be easier for her to distance herself further from his memory. His eyes grew misty when he realized how she would remember him. She would hate him. Seeing him as nothing more than another person who abandoned her. 

Gathering composure, he quietly opened the door and stepped inside. On the bed, purring and curled up like the small kitten the child was, was a soundly sleeping Safrina. He allowed himself to act on an impulse he'd had since he first saw her. Silent as a mouse, he crept his way over to the side of her bed and gently ran his fingers through her blood red locks that glinted radiantly in the moonlight; mimicking the rich color of flowing blood itself. She was soft like a kitten too. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly at that. After finding a loose floor board underneath her trunk, one he took note of after tearing apart her room, he hid a small gift for her inside. He didn't know if she would ever find it, but just knowing it was with her was enough for him. With one final glance at his darling kitten, he closed her door and vowed to never look back on thoughts of her again.   

 

~~~

 

The news of Exander's departure left Safrina stunned. Dumbledore announced that he was going on a vital mission for the orphanage. One that only he was sought out to preform. But Safrina knew otherwise. Her Gods had been right all along about absolutely everything that has happened in her life. Everyone she has ever known has either tormented her or abandoned her. All the other children looked at Safrina and sneered. She knew the rumors involving her would only get worse. An older boy who began his wizarding training this year, knocked her glass of grape juice into her lap with a basic spell he'd been slow to learn.

Sitting across from her, the boy leaned over the table and blamed her for Exander's absence sneering, "Was Kenneth not enough? You had to drive our professor away too? Are you pleased with yourself skitz?" _Skitz? Has a nice ring to it._ Anya mused. Accepting her fate, and not caring anymore about how others perceived her sanity, Safrina laughed out loud at her Gods remark. She knew it had been in reference to her illness; she could never remember the full name of her condition but she knew it began with skitz. She decided to wear it with pride. Rather than a name that was meant to mock her, she felt that it was rather a name she could use to identify her gift. For that was what it was. A great gift that she was chosen to receive, rather than some insult or illness.   

Thinking the laugh was directed him, the boy glared at her as he sat back down. She knew she developed a new leader of torment at that moment, and glared back at him with a sinister smirk playing at her features, a look that was an open challenge towards Rorian Riddle. An eleven-year-old from her homeland, who in turn, was well aware of exactly who she was as a Rockwood true born, her hair an unmistakable feature. The Rockwood's were notorious for their indifference towards its people outside of the castle walls. Starvation and plagues were only two examples of the issues the Rockwood house failed to show any interest in. Lower class people resented the self-serving house. People, that Rorian Riddle was a product of. A fact that was not lost on Safrina, or her Gods.

 

Towards the end of the meal, Dumbledore introduced Lord Sky's replacement at last; Lady Emeline Strutton, the second ever female to hold a position at the institution. She seemed to be rather young for a professor, much less a head professor in charge of an entire castle wing of students. But there was a fire that lit up her eyes, something that Safrina didn't see in other professors before. Sure Exander's eyes held a warmth that Safrina felt deep in her bones, but the look in her new professor's eyes inspired a sort of a fiery uneasiness in the now, seven years old's energy. It was a look of someone that had something to prove, and a steadfast determination to exceed it. It lit Safrina's eyes up as well. All her life, she had been cast aside and written off as just another crazy child whose imagination got the best of her. But Safrina knew her Gods were real, and that one day somehow, she would see those that dismissed her burn. Lady Strutton would never be able to teach her much in regards to her Gods, but she would be able to learn how she navigated her way into her position at such a young age. A process she felt was not the traditional approach.

 

* * *

* * *

Hey guys! So in this chapter, we have the first character that is not my own. Podrick Payne! When I went to write a squire for Exander, I realized that I was going to write him as Pod from Game of Thrones. So I decided to simply write him in, rather than copy him with a different name lol. He won't have a huge influence on the plot, but he will make appearances.

Any feedback is encouraged! Don't be shy :) 


	7. Supplies

It had been around four years since Lady Strutton took over Lord Sky's position. Over the years, Safrina shadowed her new professor, as if she was a Goddess herself. She learned nothing of her personal life so far, but she had learned all her mannerisms; their meanings memorized. She marveled at how her new professor could simply look at a man, and make him bend to her will. A certain look that seemed to make even the toughest of men, cave to her every wish. Safrina did not know what drove the men to such a dumbfounded state, but she studied the look thoroughly nonetheless. 

She noted how Lady Strutton's amber eyes narrowed, and her lashes fluttered, how her rosy soft lips parted every so slightly, the point of physical contact she always seemed to make during her persuasions, and the fact that she looked directly into the eyes of her victim, an act that seemed to bring men to their knees alone. Admittedly, Safrina hadn't quite understood why it seemed to drive the men into their dumbfounded state. But she vowed to learn to mirror her charms perfectly. 

Once, after Safrina finished eating her dinner; she learned to eat fast in order to spend most of the meal time observing others, she caught Lady Strutton in an exchange with professor Fine, the head of the Quidditch teams. Concealed in the darkness of the outer halls, Safrina watched as Lady Strutton began her attack on the professor. She wasn't close enough to make out words, but she could see them clearly. 

Emeline's hand reached for professor Fine's in an effort to grab his attention. The large and stocky man seemed engrossed in his plate. Her touch made him stop in his tracks. He dropped his cutlery and grotesquely, a large bite of food fell from his mouth as his eyes snapped towards her. If Emeline was phased, she did a good job of masking it. She simply smiled and giggled as she wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, though nothing was there. An action that seemed to make the man embarrassed and vulnerable, moving Emeline into a more powerful position. 

Now that she had her prey cornered, Safrina watched as Emeline's hand began to draw sweet little nothings, as her fingers grazed over his hand and forearm while she spoke her proposal. Fine's tough exterior began to deteriorate almost instantly as he melted into her touch. Safrina couldn't believe her eyes. She'd never seen the man so _weak._  

For the final blow, Emeline leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear. Her long golden locks fell to the other side of her face and acted as a shield to keep her lips from being read. From the look on his face, Safrina was sure he was going to faint. A fierce blush took over his complexion from neck up, and only deepened when Emeline pulled away and shot him a wink before sauntering away, moving her hips more than her usual cadence.

The man was utterly bewitched by the woman's charms. Safrina was simply in awe at the whole scene she just witnessed. She willed her mind to absorb all the information she just learned. She was sure she would use it someday.     

 

~~~

 

Around a moon's turn after her eleventh name day, the children of her age were rounded up in preparation for a trip outside of the castle. They were headed to the nearest local village. After being divided into their houses, the individual groups were lectured by their respective head professors.

"Today will be a day that you will remember for the rest of your lives." Emeline Strutton sang in her velvet voice, "Today is the first day of your training in the magical sense. On this day, you will follow in the footsteps of thousands before you, as you chose a wand and an animal. Both of which will define your life as a witch or wizard." As she said witch, she looked pointedly at Safrina. 

"Make today mean something. Your entire future lies in your hands..... no pressure!", Emeline added with a wink. 

And with that, the children were released into the busy street that held their wizarding needs. Knowing most kids would head to the candy shops or toy shops first, Safrina went straight to chose her wand; after an intense eye roll directed towards the other children of course. 

As she entered the storefront, she was greeted with the sight of all the other head professors, including her professor Strutton, congregating in a circle. The group looked at Safrina with various expressions. Most faces were in shock while others seemed rather impressed. Over the years, the professors learned not to expect to see children in the wand shop for a few hours. Safrina met Lady Strutton's gaze with a note of pride and approval in her eyes. While Emeline did not have the close bond that was once shared between Exander and Safrina, Emeline did take interest in the girl. She saw traits of herself in her and subtly tried to nurture it over the years.

Seeing all the head professors in such close proximity to her professor, she noted how Strutton seemed to stand apart from the rest. It wasn't just because she was the only female, it was because she had a certain aura about her, that commanded attention. It seemed effortless. Then, Anya explained it in plain words.

 _Shes beautiful and she knows it. Those men know it. We know it. It is a beauty that is agreed upon, unanimously by the masses. A young woman with undeniable beauty and a cunning mind. A combination no one compete with._    

Safrina was heartbroken as she stepped further into the store. Lady Emeline had flawless fair skin, while hers was scarred and freckled. Lady Emeline had smooth yet perfectly wavy blonde hair, while Safrina's was dark as blood and unruly. Emeline was tall and slender, while Safrina had always been short, and was beginning to grow more curvaceous than most her age. Her heart was broken because her idol was a goal that was unattainable. She made peace with the fact that yet again, she was alone with her Gods.

With a deep breath, Safrina turned to the shop owner for guidance, as she began her search for the right wand. After testing out a series of  unsatisfactory wands that the store owner picked out, Safrina practically begged the man to try one she had eyes on since she first walked in. The request was once again denied, as it was not custom for a witch or wizard to pick out a wand to try that was not offered. Sensing the child's desperation, Emeline stepped in and shot the man her sultry look once more, a look that Safrina now loathed. Of course the man obliged quickly and retrieved the wand Safrina asked for.   

As soon as bone-white wand graced Safrina's fingertips, Safrina felt clarity. The same clarity that deep blue eyes once gave her. Banishing the thought of the  cruel man quickly, she turned her focus back towards the wand in her hand. It felt natural. It felt powerful. It felt _right._  

Curious to the details of the empowering wand, she turned her quizzical eyes toward the salesman. 

"Ah, a Yew. With Phoenix feather core, and dragon heartstring. Very intense wand for a child." the man said turning to Emeline. 

Despite the shop owners implied warning, Emeline went through with the purchase of the powerful wand, to her, it seemed it chose Safrina for a reason. A reason that Emeline wanted to uncover alongside Safrina. 

 

~~~

 

With her new wand safely tucked in her cloak, she begins her second step of defining her identity as a witch.

She approached a building with numerous paintings of animals decorating the outside. The smell of a barn instantly invaded her senses after setting foot inside the establishment. Safrina had no idea of where to start. The entrance of the store housed furry friends such as cats, rabbits, rats, and more in that family. Further in, she saw an impressive array of owl specimens. Still, she was drawn deeper into the store, in accordance to Anya, towards the back where she found an endless amount of slimy toads. 

" _Ssssaaafriinaaaa._ " an unrecognizable voice sounded. Fearing that  another voice was manifesting in her mind, she looked around frantically, in hope of placing the face of the voice in the physical world. Not finding it, she began shaking again, something she found her body did often in response to her fear. 

Rather than seeing it, she felt it. The cool, smooth snake slithered across her feet and climbed up and around her left leg until it met her hip; its iridescent black scales gleaming as she moved. Then, it rounded her hip and part of her waist until it was tall enough to make eye contact. 

" _Faaairlyy short for your aaage Ssssafrinaa._ " the snake hissed. 

With wide eyes, Safrina responded, "So they say." in a weak voice. She meant to say more, but three words were all her shocked mind could accomplish for the time being.

"A Parcel Tongue! How fascinating!" the man who she assumed owned the establishment stated. 

"Apologies for my absence, trying to get an owl back into its cage is no easy task," he chuckled. "Names Grog. I own this place."

Grog was wasn't like other men she was used to. He hand a shaggy mop of white hair on his head, a white mustache to match, and a hunched posture. Men from the castle were always dressed in the finest silks and latest fashions. Grog quite frankly looked like a peasant. Then she realized that's what he was. A peasant who was lucky enough to build a business. Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she returned her attention to the matter at hand.   

"Sorry sir, Parcel Tongue?" Safrina asked, still not able to form complete sentences. 

"Guess you haven't gotten that far in school yet." Grog mused to himself. "Just a fancy name for being able to speak with snakes. Quite a gift! You should consider yourself lucky!"

Another gift the Gods have granted her. Safrina's fear subsided, and Anya said, _your welcome child_ , in her mind.  

"Will you be choosing her then?" 

"Yes please, sir," Safrina replied before he even finished his sentence.

 

~~~

 

With her wand tucked into her robes and her snake trailing behind her, she makes her way into the book store, in an effort wait out the rest of the allotted time. Patrons avoided her due to the snake, making her path around the store void of people. Navigating swiftly through the store, she found the section she was in search for. 

The Histories of Magic section was small, and seemed to have been rather neglected. Dust and cobwebs were draped over virtually all surfaces. She didn't realize how few people held interest in their history. Safrina was rather well educated on the subject.

The only memories she held anymore of her father, were of his stories of the Rockwood legacy. Her lineage was linked to the first ever recorded witch, Elriya Rockwood. Seeing as how only male wizards seemed to populate the magic kingdom at the time, this revelation changed the course of history over the three thousand years that followed. 

Sadly, the Rockwood reputation plummeted when it was determined that Elriya Rockwood was certifiably mad, as she was compelled by unseen forces to preform a series of strange and dark acts. Acts that her father refused to inform Safrina about. Acts that kept Safrina awake at night, imagining the atrocities that were preformed. 

Today, Safrina was determined to uncover the truths about her bloodline. Elriya's name came up often in conversations that her parents had in regards to Safrina. Once her father started with the comparisons of her and the mad witch, her relationship with her father ended seemingly overnight. Her father seemed to be almost afraid of her, which only fueled her curiosity more on the subject of Elriya. 

After skimming all the titles in the small section, she sighed in annoyance. There was not one single book on the Rockwood's or Elriya. The snake began to slither towards the restricted section.

"Stop! Its restricted!" Safrina hissed in Parcel Tongue. 

The snake simply glanced back at Safrina, then continued on her pursuit. 

Checking her surroundings first, she follows the snake with light footsteps to the section.

Somehow, the restricted section seemed even more run down. The air was thick with dust and she fought not to cough or sneeze. She looked through the very first isle and found what she needed almost instantly.The book read Elriya Rockwood on its spine in silver lettering and nothing more. The rest of the cover was black and graying on the corners with age. Just when she was about to open the book, she heard footsteps and faint whispers.

Quickly, her and her snake made their way to the curtains by the dingy window. Once Safrina was in place behind the curtain, the snake swiveled her way around her leg and body, just as she had done moments ago at their first encounter. The whisper and footstep creators came into view. 

Emeline was once again, using her wiles to get what she wants. She was accompanied by the Liberian's aid. A lean and built man who looked to be in her professor's age range. He was nothing short than handsome. And for the first time, Safrina witnessed something happen to Emeline that she had never bear witness to before. She blushed at his touch when he pushed a stray hair of hers away from her face. 

Shaking her head as if she was shaking away the rosy cheeks she now donned, Emeline regrouped, and her focus snapped back to her original inquiry.

"So where is this book on Lady Elriya? Surely you remember why you took me down here?" Emeline asked coyly. Once again, she regained control effortlessly despite her minor setback. 

It was now the man's turn to blush. He turned away quickly, trying to conceal his reddened face, but it was for naught, as it was visible plainly, on the back of his neck.   

Safrina watched as he went straight towards the spot that she stole the book from. Instinctively, she held the book closer to her chest as if her grip would be enough to make the whole situation go away. 

"I-I can't find it. It's not here." the man turned towards Emeline as he spoke; his expression confused. 

Safrina couldn't read Emeline's face as her back was towards her, but she could imagine the confusion written all over her expression as well. As a substitute, he offered her a book about the Rockwood history in general, before leaving in urgency to inform the Librarian of the missing book. 

Still stuck in her confinement behind the curtains, Safrina watched her professor flip through the pages that held stories of her lineage.

With her finger, Emeline skimmed through the pages in search of one name in particular. Safrina did not have to guess that it was Elriya's name that drove her search. She knew she was looking for the answers that would not be found in any Rockwood history book. In fact, most don't mention the mad witch at all, Safrina found. The only book that bothered to mention her that Safrina had come across, contained one sentence stating that she was the first witch, and nothing more. 

Emeline abruptly slammed the book shut in anger, snapping Safrina out of her thoughts in the process. As the angry women stormed out of the section, Safrina knew their shared interest in the book was because Emeline too, saw similarities between Safrina and Elriya. While Safrina knew she should be offended, she was rather flattered at the prospect and was eager to get to back to the castle to read the book in her room.  

Easily evading patrons and librarian workers, she slipped out the back door unnoticed. She saw the other children congregating in front of the carriages. Safrina promptly made her way towards the others and stayed towards the back of the crowd. She was short behind the other children that towered over her, and she used her height to stay hidden. The size of the book made it hard to conceal and was almost obvious that it was hiding towards the back of Safrina's rob. 

Once the nerve-racking carriage ride was over, Safrina skipped dinner and ran straight for her room with her new magical supplies.  

 

 

 

 


	8. Emeline

DISCLAIMER: There is a  brief mention of attempted rape as Emeline tells her story. The marks: ***** will indicate the start and end of it if you wish to skip it.

* * *

 

Safrina slammed her book on the desk; she ran into it with all her momentum. 

" _Ssssssloowwlyy Sssaafrinaa_." her still nameless snake hissed.  

"What shall I call you?" Safrina asked, distracted by the fact that she had no name for her newest companion.

" _Thaaat isss sssomthing oonlyy yoouuu caaan aaaanssssseer. Noow chilld, oopenn thaaaat book._ "

Safrina regained her focus on the book and hastily opened it. Curiously, the first few pages she flipped through were completely black with no writing. Thinking it was just for a dramatic effect at the start, she turned several more pages, only to find those had the same fates as the previous ones. She then flipped to the center of the book, which held even more black pages. The entire book held no words at all. Just black. 

Her eyes stung with tears at the cruel joke. She'd finally found an entire book dedicated to the one subject she was interested in most, and it mocked her. It was infuriating to her, that such a pointless book would be kept in the restricted section. She could not believe that a blank novel that held no information was offered there. People must not have opened it. That was the only logical explanation her mind could conjure up. She cursed the foolishness of the Librarians and slammed the book shut, before hiding it and the very bottom of her trunk, underneath her clothes. She jumped to her bed and began wailing into her pillows. She knew she was perhaps overdramatic, but with the optimism of answers to the questions that haunted her as long as she could remember being so close and yet still so far, twisted the metaphorical dagger her wonders left inside her. 

She felt the snake coil around herself as she settled on her back in a swirl. It offered comfort to Safrina, so she was grateful for it. It was refreshing to have some support in the physical world after spending the majority of her eleven years of life in solitude.

The Pit took over her senses then, and she slipped into a deep and dreamless slumber for the night. 

 

~~~

 

Emeline's eyes scanned the Great Hall in search for dark red curls. She knew Safrina did not usually stay very long during dinners, but she generally at least showed up. Concerned as to the whereabouts of the child after the trip, she leans in close to Marcus Dumbledore. It was not in her usual seductive manipulation, however for that would never work on a man that wise. It was to voice a sincere question.

"Has Safrina been sighted within castle walls since we arrived my Lord?" she asked worriedly.

"I spotted her heading straight for her rooms my Lady. She looked rather pale and unwell. My guess is she must have gotten sick on the road. Sometimes the motions of the carriages are enough to make anyone sick." Marcus mused.

Sated that someone had seen her, Emeline let herself relax a fraction. She could never lose full control in her position. She could never fully let go of the character shes created for herself. Not until she was safely tucked away for the night in her chambers.

Professor Fine, who now always opted to sit at her side, leaned over to whisper in her ear. 

Emeline braced herself. She despised the man with every fiber in her being. Always smelling of dirt and musk, and his hair and beard wild and unkempt, she often wondered if he knew what a bath was, or if he just avoided them. His robs, however, were always made of the finest materials and all but shouted that the man had a considerable amount of wealth to his name. That was one of two prospects as to why she toyed with him. The gifts he showered her in were quite useful in complimenting her beauty and her status. The second being that his position of the head of the Quidditch department, was quite helpful, though her colleges were too foolish to see it. Quidditch tournaments never mattered much to the adults of the castle but meant everything to the children. She did not need help when it came to gaining power within the council. She could manage her rise herself. What she did need help with in regards to power, was her reputation among the children. The children were relatively new to her still after four years, and to earn a more commanding presence over them, she relied on professor Fine to charm the equipment, and rig matches in her houses favor. Once she had control over both the children and the council, stealing the headmaster's position would be far too easy. So when the disgusting man leaned in to whisper in her ear, she swallowed her pride and put her usual innocent yet seductive expression on her face that she knew he loved. 

"I think people are beginning to question the endless victories your house is earning," Fine said gruffly in her ear. 

Not wanting to discuss the subject at a table surrounded by all their colleges, she graced his arm with the enticing short strokes of her hand.

"Perhaps we should speak of this in a place more... _private._ " she breathed into his ear. 

The implied notion of intimacy was enough to send the man into a sudden standing position. His hand stretched out to help Emeline out of her seat. A light blush of embarrassment developed on her complexion. His erratic movement earned them a few stares, though he didn't even notice and mistook her blush as excitement for what he expected to come.       

While still maintaining composure, apart from the light pink blush, she reaches for his hand and stands gracefully. The Gods seemed to have mercy over her as the stares retreated as quickly as they came. 

The two did not speak as they walked through the castle, leaving Emeline to her thoughts. Safrina invaded her mind once more. If the stories of her ancestor's madness were true, Safrina could be the worlds most powerful witch if nurtured properly. She only had to confirm them in a book before she could begin to mold the child into the witch Emeline saw in her. Most people would define the similarities disturbing, but while the acts Elriya preformed were dark and cruel, one cannot deny the absolute power she wielded. A force that Emeline hoped to control and harness in Safrina before she could perform the dark acts. 

Emeline's attention refocuses back to the situation at hand as the sharp cold wind swept across her face. They were on the outskirts of the castle where hardly anyone goes. She groaned internally at the man's choice of location. No doubt he thought a suitable place for their endeavors would be outside. While Emeline was not above sleeping with men to get what she wants, she'd never been one for being an exhibitionist. It was counterproductive and was far too risky for her liking. Her motives thrived in the dark, not in being flashed around in broad daylight. No, she would not fuck him like this, but she would do whatever it took to keep him as her slave. 

She let him settle her against the wall as he made sure they were alone. Satisfied, the older man leaned in to kiss her. She pushed back on his chest, though he fought her as he pressed forward.  

"Stop," Emeline warned. 

Fine huffed in annoyance and pulled away. 

"Business first." Emeline continued.

"Very well," Fine said through gritted teeth. "We're going to need to ease up on the wins for a while. Just two or three matches."

"There are only five matches left to the season Fine. I will not risk my houses reputation with the end of the season being so close."

Fine then moved in close as he placed each hand on either side of her face. Her throat tightened with fear, but she maintained composure. 

"I am not a man who takes orders from a woman without anything in return. I've been helping you for months with nothing to show for it!", he seethed.

Emeline's lips twitched into a seductive smirk. She knew how to diffuse the tension. Bringing up one hand to curl into his hair, while lowering the other to grasp the hem of his trousers, she leaned even closer; her mouth inches away from his.

"We will throw one game. No more, no less and NOT the last game of the season. Once the season is out, and I see that you honored my wishes," the hand at Fine's trousers now brought his hand to her breast, "I promise to give you all you desire and more my lord."

Fine's breathing was labored as he groped her breast in a trance-like state. She squeezed his hand to grab his attention before she spoke.

"Only after." she reiterated.

After a few beats, Fine remembered himself and took a step back from Emeline. 

"How do I know you'll not go back on your word?"

Emeline closed the gap and graced his cracked lips with a light yet teasing kiss. 

"Because I have desires of my own Victus," she whispered, adopting a familiar tone by use of his first name. 

With that, she left him alone with his thoughts as she embarked on her next conquest. 

 

~~~

 

Safrina wasn't sure how long she was drowning in The Pit when she began to stir. The sun seemed to have just slipped past the mountain tops as light still lingered. She located the source of her consciousness as a light knocking rasped on the door. Curious as to who it could be at this hour, she rose with haste and opened the door. A flash of golden locks flew across her vision as Emeline strode into her room without so much as a look at Safrina. 

"I'm sorry for the intrusion Safrina. I saw that you weren't at dinner and I wanted to make sure you were well." Emeline stated as she took a seat in the wooden chair. When she finally looked up, she saw the anguish written all over Safrina's face. Her skin was paler than usual, and her eyes seemed to be dead and lifeless, though they were bloodshot and swollen as if she'd been crying.

"What's wrong Safrina," Emeline added hastily.

Safrina picked up on her professor's concern.  _Your face is giving you away child. Turn around foolish girl!_ Valladon sounded. Safrina obeyed his request and turned away from Emeline at once. She panicked as she heard her coming closer to her, resulting in her shaking once again. 

"Your shaking Safrina. You must be feverish! Let me get you a blanket." Emeline mused as she opened her trunk. 

Safrina realized all too late that the book was hiding at the very bottom of the trunk, along with the only extra blanket she had lying directly on top of it. Springing into action, her snake hurridly tried to coil around the Lady's arms, but as she wasn't fearful of the animal, Emeline batted it away quickly. As she pulled the blanket out, Emeline gasped in shock.  

"This is the book that was missing from the library! But what is it doing here?" Emeline's initial excitement morphed into an authoritative tone as she continued, "This was in the restricted section Safrina. How did you get this?"

_Lie!_   Valladon urged. But even her Gods could help her create a believable lie, so in a feeble attempt to throw her professors accusations off, she rasped out, "Its mine." 

_You bloody_ _idiot!!_ Valladon screeched inside her head. 

Emeline was not impressed. "Sit down Safrina." Safrina sat on the edge of her bed while her professor resumed her position in the chair, now facing her. "This book is not your's Safrina. I have no idea how you managed to sneak a book of that size to your chambers, and I don't care. This book is kept in the restricted section for a reason. I know you must be curious about your families history, but you may discover things you wish you hadn't." 

Safrina scoffed at that. "The book is useless. I've discovered nothing. The book is nothing more than decoration for the pretty library."

Emeline's eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

"See for yourself," Safrina suggested. 

Emeline reached for the book and began flipping through the pages. The book seemed to be quite useful to her. She saw nothing sinister or out of the ordinary as all the pages filled with text. 

"Safrina, can you not read?" the professor asked wearily. She did not expect for Safrina to be unable to read as it was taught to her since before she arrived at the orphanage, so she quickly rephrased her question.

"Can you see I mean? Do the words look fuzzy?" Emeline regretted her words as Safrina seemed to be utterly bewildered. 

"I can see clearly." Safrina was unsure as to what prompted professor Strutton to ask any of this. "But there are no words to be seen in that book professor. The pages are plain black and contain no words at all!" Safrina all but yelled as her words progressed. 

Emeline chuckled lightly until Safrina's hateful gaze met hers. Stifling back her laugh, Emeline explained the tactic the library used to protect text from young eyes seeing it. "When it comes to the restricted section Safrina, all the books are placed under a charm that prevents any underage students from reading it. To you, the pages are blacked out, but to me, they are filled with words about your ancestor."

Safrina was stunned silent. The words were there. The answers were quite literally in her hands. Still, she could not read them, and knowing that they were staring her in the face was infuriating. The world seemed to somehow taunt her even further with the knowledge that the words were present in the book. Safrina was seething in response. She began shaking again, this time out of anger. 

Not only was her idol far too beautiful and unattainable for her to try to emulate, but she also is granted access to stories that Safrina obsessed over since she was a toddler. The fact that her idol was laughing about it pushed her over the edge.

Sensing her apparent anger, Emeline closed the gap between them as she sat beside Safrina on her bed Emeline reached out for her to try to calm her, but Safrina recoiled from her touch and got up from the bed. Her angry energy sent her pacing around her room. 

"Safrina, please. Try to calm down. It's just a book--" Emeline was cut off.

"Just a book! Just a book!? If it is just a book, then why were you desperate to find it? Even flirting your way to get to it!" Safrina knew she was out of line, but she couldn't help it as the combination of betrayal, jealousy, and fury became too much.

It was Emeline's turn to be stunned into silence. Her and Safrina had never had a proper conversation before. In truth, Emeline had never seen Safrina have a decent conversation with anyone. It was incredibly unexpected for her to explode like this. It wasn't just her outburst; it was also the content. Safrina spied on her at the library. Emeline is a meticulous woman, often catching spies red-handed. She had never successfully been spied on unless she allowed it on purpose. Safrina was her first real experience with a genuine spy. Only she wasn't a spy. She was an eleven-year-old who hadn't even begun to learn magic yet. Not just that, but she got caught playing her game, the same game that she kept secret up until now. Safrina saw her manipulate a man and saw the reason why. Her cards were all out on the table. There was no use in hiding it. 

"Look at me." She paused until She had Safrina's undivided attention. "I'm drawn to Elriya Rockwood for the same reasons you are. You see some of yourself in her, as do I. You do not fear her, neither do I. You wanted to read about her to learn more about yourself. I do too. There is more to you than meets the eye, Safrina. You spying on me undetected proved that." 

"It wasn't the first time." though her Gods advised against it, Safrina thought she should be as honest with her professor, as she was with her. "I know why we've been winning Quidditch matches, and why professor Fine has taken a keen interest in you. Among other men."

Emeline took a moment to process the fact that Safrina had been spying on her for years now. She was impressed indeed, though she was disappointed in herself. The last card she held, was about to be shown. 

"Sit down Safrina. Let me tell you about myself. I see some of myself in you too. Perhaps we can help each other."

Safrina sat down on the floor legs crossed, and the blanket wrapped around her. 

*****

"I was born into a high born family from foreign lands. My life had never belonged to me. First, it belonged to my father, then my betrothed. I was to marry on my fourteenth birthday, to a man older than my father. He was unkind, balding and fat, and was the owner of magical slaves. At the time, no one knew of me being a witch. Everything I learned was self-taught in secret. One day, after a feast, my betrothed came to my chambers. I let him in, trying to be a good Lady. I didn't expect him to hit me. But he did. He then said that he wanted to claim what was his, but I had my wand hidden in my robe, so I pulled it out, and I used the Wingardium Leviosa spell. Levitation spell, nothing difficult. I used it on a dagger my brother left in my room and brought it to me. I then slit his throat and ran. I ran nonstop to the docks and boarded the first ship I came across. I landed here. On the ship, I decided that I would never place my life in the hands of men ever again. And I didn't. I spent years manipulating and learning all that I could from men. I let them think they control me. But I'm smarter than they are." She leaned her elbows on her knees and leaned towards Safrina then, "We're smarter than they are. We control them."

*****

"How?"

"With our intellect, our bodies, our magic. Men are greedy Safrina. Once you discover what they want, you can get them to do anything. Most want to get between your legs. Let them. Maidens don't live the life they want. They get married off and are used to make sons. Nothing more. That is not a life for you." Emeline now moved off the bed onto her feet, and grabbed Safrina's chin in her hand, tilting her face to look into her eyes, "This is a man's world. To get ahead, they're the ones we need to please. Give them everything. Then, fuck them over."

With that, Emeline took the book and left the room. 

 

~~~

 

Weeks passed and a new season was approaching, bringing the last Quidditch match with it. 

Safrina and Emeline became fast friends, though their relationship kept much more private than the one with her previous professor. No one else knew of their bond, and both girls wanted to keep it that way. Since their first conversation, Emeline began coaching Safrina on how men work and how to play with them. She often spoke of men as if they were toys, something that made Safrina giggle. She also told her that some, though it was few and far between, would not respond to sex and would have to be manipulated in other ways. According to Emeline, the most important thing to remember is to never fall in love. Love means you belong to someone, and you can never be successful when your life is not your own. 

Safrina spotted Emeline and professor Fine strolling through the courtyard. 

His hands were all over his companion, and Emeline fought to keep him at bay.

"You said I could have all I desire today!" Fine groaned. 

"After we win Fine. Trust me."

"Then perhaps just a little taste."

"Knowing he wouldn't back down easily today, she decides to indulge him as he would leave her alone faster this way. She pulls him by his collar and begins kissing him hard with a lot of tongue. She lets his hands roam her body as he groans into her mouth. Her hands expertly untie his trousers in record time as she releases his surprisingly large member. She strokes it as she checks her perimeter, shooting a knowing smirk at Safrina's concealed spot. Safrina and Emeline had an agreement that she would "shadow" Emeline during her conquests. Satisfied with the population of the courtyard, she sinks to her knees. Then Safrina nearly gasps as she sees her professor do the most vulgar thing she could fathom. Emeline's mouth was bobbing up and down Fine's cock. Safrina quickly averted her eyes. She couldn't believe her eyes and chose not to. Then she heard deep groaning, and she turned back expecting to see Fine in pain. What she saw instead was professor Strutton's head pushed down on his member while he thrust into her mouth. He threw his head back as he released into her. He pulled away and wiped her face with a handkerchief and tucked himself away before leaving her without so much as a thank you. 

Once Safrina saw that the professor was out of sight and earshot, she came out of her hiding and went to help up Emeline. 

Emeline saw the bewildered look on Safrina's face and chuckled. "Do you have any idea of what goes on between a man and a woman behind closed doors?"

Safrina knew almost nothing. She was taken from her mother, the customary person to talk with about such matters for a girl, at age six. She never got the opportunity to give it much thought since then — all she knew where her assumptions. She suspected lots of kissing and heavy petting. She knew that at some point people got naked, but outside of that, she was clueless. She shook her head no in response, not being one to talk much when she feels insecure about something she doesn't understand.

Emeline then walked with Safrina to Safrina's room, filling her in on the fundamentals of intimacy all the while. 

Reaching the door to her rooms, Emeline added, "That's the basics of child making, but there are many pleasures outside of that to be had. I'll tell you of that at another time." Emeline gave her a wink and left Safrina as she departed.  

Safrina's dreams that night were quite vivid after she saw Emeline take a very eager professor Fine into her chambers after the Quidditch match.  

  


	9. Missing

DISCLAIMER: There is mention of rape in this chapter. The marks: ***** will mark the beginning and end of the scene if you wish to skip it. 

* * *

 

 

Safrina, now fourteen, was a natural when it came to magic. She quickly rose to the top in every class that involved spells and potions. Though her only friend, who was more of an idol, was professor Strutton she found life was much more comfortable that way. Throughout the years she observed her classmates. Friendships fell apart, rumors spread like wildfire, and romantic relationships were beginning to surface. 

As the bond between Safrina and Emeline developed over the years, Emeline began to include Safrina on her conquests. Because no one was aware of their friendship, no one suspected Safrina when she would engage with the prey, making their schemes quite successful. As she was still a virgin, she didn't do anything of an intimate nature just yet. Despite the closeness between the pair, Safrina couldn't help but feel that something was off. When they would travel to nearby villages, Safrina often got more attention than Emeline did these days. Safrina's build was the complete opposite of Emeline's. While Emeline still held an undeniable beauty, Safrina possessed a beauty that was all her own. Her height and soft curves that were more pronounced than most was not the conventional tall and slender beauty that women strived for in the realm. She had a beauty that was exclusive to her, a vision that intrigued many men that she came across that weren't already aware of her reputation back at the orphanage. Once Emeline heard that Safrina became a woman and received her first moonblood, an idea popped into her head. 

 

~~~

 

Emeline was beginning to worry about Safrina's obsession with the infamous book. When she found that Safrina had taken extensive notes on the deeds specifically, Emeline knew she had to get the book out of her hands. Seeing as how Safrina's body had changed, Emeline thought Safrina should learn to use it. Killing two birds with one stone, she decided that Safrina should seduce Wyatt, the assistant at the library that Emeline had a fondness towards, a feeling that went against her number one rule of not falling in love. Though she instructed Safrina to not sleep with him, she knew that he would be a safe man to seduce without the fear of him forcing anything. In all honesty, the book didn't have to go back to the library, but the unique opportunity of two lessons in one could only come to fruition if carried out there. 

 After Emeline lifted the charm on the book, which took a lot of time and effort on her part, Safrina read the book in its entirety nearly every night. She couldn't explain why, but she felt compelled to read it. It almost gave her comfort. The pages were the key to perhaps the only relative that could ever understand her. The abandoned child inside her clung to that notion like a vice. 

Safrina stood outside the library, hesitating. She didn't dare step foot in the building since she stole the book all those years ago. Her reluctance to part with the text, coupled with her lack of experience and the fact that Emelina forced to leave Nylah, her snake, behind with her wand, rendered her immobile. The only thing keeping her from running away was the voice of Anya.  _All is well dear. This task is the only way to learn. Seduction will prove to be quite useful in the years to come._ Over the years, Anya took on a soothing tone while Valladon remained the scolder and The God of Nothing continued to be the one to imprison her in The Pit. She felt the unspoken promise of The Pit and Valladon's wrath if she didn't complete the task at hand. 

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Safrina readied herself and made her way towards the doors of the library. With her beloved book pressed tightly to her side under cover of her cloak, she looked around for Wyatt, as instructed by Emeline. She could hardly remember what the man looked like since she only saw him once nearly three years ago. Light blonde hair, green eyes, and a tall yet stalky stature made up the description Emeline gave her. She didn't need to look long as he came straight to her.

"I don't think I've seen you here before. I'd remember you." Wyatt said breathlessly. He fit the description perfectly and yet not at all. It was true that his features matched Emeline's list of traits, but the way those features melted together were so much more than what Emeline led on. 

She realized she still hadn't said anything and rushed out a response, "Actually, I have been here before, years ago. I could use your help." she added a small smile at the end. 

"Of course, I'd love to help. What do you need?"

Safrina felt flustered. She had never even attempted flirting before and was incredibly uncomfortable with the prospect. Sensing her apprehension, Anya stepped in. Letting Anya's become her own, Safrina replied, "Perhaps we can discuss it in a more secluded location." Safrina added to the words by placing her hand tentatively on his forearm. Though it felt foreign and unnatural to her, Wyatt hardly seem to notice as he grasped her hand and led her through the library to the very back of the building, where only employees are allowed. 

There were stacks upon stacks of every type of book one could imagine. Wyatt pulled her even farther to the very back of that room. The high pillars of books easily concealed them as well as any words they would exchange. 

"Will this do?" Wyatt asked though he seemed to be already pleased with himself. 

"Yes, this is fine thank you." Safrina was unsure in her response, the anxiety of what she would have to do to pull off Emeline's plan made her sick to her stomach. 

"So what is this all about miss--" He trailed off waiting for her to give him her name.

"Safrina."

"Safrina," he said with a smile, "You can tell me you know." He grasped her shoulder gently, effectively putting Safrina at ease. 

Revealing the hidden book within her dressings as she spoke, "You may recall that this book went missing a few years ago when you tried to help Lady Strutton locate it." She handed the book to Wyatt, whose jaw dropped in complete shock.

Safrina waited for him to respond but he didn't. Fearing the worst, she remembered everything Emeline taught her and finally embraced it. 

Wyatt's eyes hadn't left the book since Safrina revealed it. While his attention was on the text, she seized momentary his distraction to give herself a once over, adjusting her dress to expose more of her breasts in the process. Once she was satisfied with her attire, she made her advance on Wyatt. 

She was at his side and stood on her tip toes to reach his ear as she whispered, "You promised you would help me, Wyatt. You said I could tell you what was wrong. I never meant to steal it. I just wanted to see who Elriya Rockwood was."

He looked at her then. "Your a Rockwood aren't you?" Then a spark of recognition flashed in his eyes. "Bloody hell! You're the child that died! You're the child that the great Rockwood family supposedly lost. That's why you took the book."

Safrina vowed then and there that once she finally was able to leave the orphanage she, she would be sure never to use her given name ever again. Her bold red hair and unique name were far too distinctive and gave away her true identity easily. 

"Please Wyatt, you have to help me get the book back into its proper place in the restricted section without getting me caught."

"How do you know my name?"

Safrina racked her brain in search of when he offered his name to her but came up short. The presence of Valladon was beginning to pollute her mind, and before he could sink his teeth into her, she came up with a half like and half-truth.

"Emeline sent me."

"Emeline sent _you?_ " 

"Yes. She's the one that told me to take the book for her. She had no intention of reading it at the library and planned to keep it for herself until she no longer had use for it."

"If she really sent you, then why would she ask me to help her find it?"

"It was a rouse! She wanted to make sure you'd never suspect that she was behind it."

"You mean she used me?" Wyatt looked deeply hurt at that. Safrina felt horrible. She wasn't at all seducing him, or even attempting to at this point, and she was both deeply wounding an innocent man, and severing any potential relationship that could have transpired between him and her professor. When she felt a sturdy stack of books against her back, she realized that he had backed her into a corner.

Wyatt could see the panic in her eyes. Something in him snapped when he saw her fear. Knowing her reputation as a Rockwood, and knowing that she stole for a woman that played him like a fiddle from _his_ library, pushed him over the edge. Even the best of men have their limits. He felt so profoundly wronged by Emeline, but because Safrina was what stood in front of him, he took out his anguish on her.

*****

Pulling out his wand and pointing it at Safrina's neck he hissed, "Eye for an eye. I'll get the book back where it belongs without ratting you out, and in return, you'll help get my cock where it belongs, without ratting me out. Got it?"

Safrina made to scream, but Wyatt pressed the wand into her neck before the sound could escape her throat. Wyatt slapped her across her face for her attempted scream and proceeded to unleash himself from his trousers. When she felt his hands run down over her breasts, then over to the curve of her side, then back to the middle where her private place was, she willingly gave in to The Pit that The God of Nothing mercifully brought to her. 

*****

 

~~~

 

Safrina awoke cold, wet, and shivering in the rain. She looked herself over. Her dressings were torn into rags that barely clung to her body from the state they were in. She looked up at the dark and starless sky. It was the darkest she had ever seen it, and for that she was grateful. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing herself in the light of day. The town was deserted, indicating the lateness of the hour. While she couldn't remember the details, she knew for certain that her innocence was gone, stolen from her like her childhood. 

Seeking comfort, she allowed her mind to drift to a man she hadn't let herself think of in years, Exander Sky. She hadn't seen him in years. She could hardly picture his face anymore. She remembered the comfort she found in him perfect detail despite his distant memory. Since he left seven years ago now, she never felt that safety and comfort his presence provided since. She was always on guard. She may have found a companion in Emeline, but she encouraged her cautions, and after what happened with Wyatt, she was sure that Emeline would never forgive her. Exander was the only person in her life that made Safrina feel like she was more than just someone's burden or a pawn in a chess game, but even he left her. Tears prickled her eyes and the thought, and the broken girl let them flow down her face silently. She had no energy to fight them.

As Safrina scrambled to her feet, some woman, dressed in revealing clothes, spotted her. 

"Are you alright miss? Did some bloke take advantage of you?" asked the woman. The low-cut dress and the rouge on the woman's cheeks told Safrina that she was a whore. Despite her occupation, the woman seemed kind enough, so Safrina took her hand that was offered to her to steady herself. 

"The men around here seem to be getting more possessive with the soldiers being here." the woman continued. Safrina then realized that she must have looked like a whore herself. 

Safrina let a silence fall over them to consider the soldier's arrival. They had only just come around three months ago, and though Dumbledore kept the reason they were there a mystery, he assured that more were on their way and to get used to them. There wasn't must men, only thirty, so they're presence went unnoticed around the castle. But she hadn't considered the impact they would make outside of the grounds.

Interrupting her thoughts, the woman introduced herself, "My names Jovie. I was about your age when I started. Its been nearly a decade now. You can stick with me if you want. I can help you. A group of us are leaving now actually. Join us, men here are cheap and getting aggressive. "

Anya finally came to her and urged her to take up the woman's offer. Safrina took one look at the castle in the distance. Though "home" wasn't quite the word Safrina would use to describe it, everything she learned was from that place. Leaving that place behind would mean she would be taking her life into her own hands. Emeline would seize the opportunity. But with her beloved snake Nylah confined in those castle walls along with her wand, Safrina hesitated. Leaving now would leave her defenseless, something she didn't know if she should gamble with. The thought of what would happen once she arrived back at the castle is what made her decision. Emeline would make her life a living hell for what transpired between her and Wyatt, and she would have to endure another two years at the orphanage in an even worse predicament than before. 

"You okay honey?", Jovie asked.

"I'm fine. Let's go." Safrina said with a smile at Jovie. 

At that, Jovie linked her arm with Safrina's, and the pair walked together to the horses waiting for them with the rest of the group.  

 

~~~

 

Safrina had been missing for a fortnight. Marcus had sent search parties throughout the castle and the wilds that surrounded it and even expanded the search to three neighboring villages. There was no sign of her. He was even more frustrated when Emeline seemed not to care. Though Emeline and Safrina hid it well, he was aware of their bond, he knew everything that happened in the castle, and was shocked to see Emeline almost resenting her. 

Marcus sighed as he reached for his quill and parchment, he was out of options and had to update Exander on Safrina's disappearance. 

Since Exander left for his quest seven years ago, Marcus had been updating him on the status of Safrina. An agreement that Marcus was forced into since Exander took the precious stone that was hidden in his desk, with him as leverage. The deal was that if Marcus kept Safrina safe, and updated him regularly while he was on his quest, Exander would personally deliver the stone back to him after she turned sixteen, and would age out of the protection of the orphanage. If he failed, Exander would stop sending soldiers to the orphanage and retract the ones that were there already, to protect him and the stone which he would keep for himself. 

 

_Lord Exander Sky,_

_It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of Safrina's disappearance. She has been missing for a fortnight so far. I have already sent search parties throughout the castle, the wilds, and nearby villages. According to Lady Strutton, she claims to have sent her on some errand in town. That was the day she went missing. Coincidentally, Emeline seems to be indifferent towards Safrina's disappearance. I am writing to you for help. I have exhausted all my resources, and I fear that she is no longer within the vicinity of the castle._

 

_Regards,_

_Marcus Dumbledore_

 

 Exander was beside himself when he received word of Safrina's disappearance. His worst fear came to fruition. He had tried to do everything he could to protect her, and now she was lost without her wand or snake. He knew that Safrina was a smart young woman and took solace in that fact. When he ordered poor Podrick to send nearly all his men to search for his dear Safrina, he was less than his usual professional self. He continuously berated the squire until he heard word of a clue as to Safrina's whereabouts. 

Podrick addressed Exander timidly as his Lord's latest behavior was unpredictable and chaotic. 

"Out with it Pod," Exander sighed in an exasperated tone.

"There was a witness found in the village closest to the castle which gave a tip about Safrina," replied a nervous Pod.

Exander snapped to attention. He stood up out of his seat and hurried over to Pod. 

"What is it Pod? What is the tip?"

"A whore said that she saw a young woman join a group of other whores on their journey to the East, though the name of the young woman is unknown, the whore said that she had hair red as blood." 

"That's her! No doubt in my mind!" Exander began pacing the room in his meditative state. "East you say? Perhaps it's a good thing she doesn't have her wand. They enslave us there. She must be found at once! Redirect all men searching elsewhere and send them east. Send the rest of the remaining men here as well."

"My Lord that will leave you without protection."

"I am aware Pod, but Safrina must be found and taken back to the castle as soon as it can be arranged. You will send them. And you will send them now." Exander's voice took on a sinister tone as he ordered his squire to ready the soldiers. 

 

~~~

 

Safrina had been traveling with the women for a month now. She had lost a considerable about of weight, as they rationed the food improperly at the beginning of their trip and the food was scarce on the road. Her legs seemed to be chronically sore from riding horseback for so long, and the constant cold gave her lips a steady blue hue as she shivered. The farther east they went, the more she found that people hated those of the wizarding world. She managed to keep her identity and her magic concealed thus far which Safrina was relieved about, though she longed to be able to practice her abilities and reunite with her wand again. She regretted her decision of joining the women the second she mounted her horse, but she made the best of it and learned a great deal from Jovie. 

Sometimes a few women from the group would try to appease in keepers to let them stay in a room for a night. Jovie almost always jumped at the chance, and Safrina took the opportunities to learn all she could from her. There were many times when Jovie and Safrina would share a bed with a man, Jovie playing teacher and Safrina playing student. A part of her hated herself for how quickly she fell into bed with strangers, but after losing her innocence, she felt that there was no point in avoiding it, and over time the shock of it all faded.     

It was when Safrina exited the fourth inn that she stayed in when she saw soldiers with her orphanage's sigil on their breastplates surrounding the doors of the inn. Safrina's heart began beating out of her chest at the sight of them. Though she was confused and apprehensive about going back to the castle, she was grateful that her mistake was being undone. 

 

~~~

 

When Safrina arrived back at the castle grounds, she was sent straight to Dumbledore's office. As she was waiting for him, Emeline entered the room. Emeline didn't even throw a glance in Safrina's direction. The professor's arms were crossed, and she stood as far away from Safrina as possible. The room was thick with tension radiating between the girls when Dumbledore finally arrived. The state of their relationship was far worse than he thought. 

"Both of you, take a seat," Dumbledore instructed the ladies.

Safrina sat silently, as did Emeline. Safrina's thoughts accompanied by her voices were on overdrive as she tried to figure out what was going to happen next. She knew she was to be punished, but usually, children that run away from the grounds are automatically exiled to the wilds if found. Safrina however, was brought back to the castle. It wouldn't make sense to exile her after bringing her all the way back, to send her away again. Breaking her concentration, the headmaster finally spoke. 

"A witness from outside the local library said he saw you Safrina, waking up from behind the library and joining a group of whores on the road. After such a discovery, I investigated the library to see if something happened there that would drive you away." Dumbledore left out the part about the investigation being Exander's idea and was conducted by his men. "A certain, Wyatt had a lot to say."

Emeline went rigid at that. Safrina chanced a glance her way and took in her pale face. Safrina knew then that Emeline was aware of what Wyatt had done, just as her parents were aware of where Safrina was going all those years ago, and just like Exander left her after planning his travels for a full year while working with her, before he left without warning. Everyone she'd ever trusted betrayed her. 

Dumbledore noted the change of energy from both girls. Emeline's usual mask of a calm and flirtatious demeanor was gone and was replaced with genuine fear. Safrina, on the other hand, seemed to be seething in a controllable yet hot anger. This is why Dumbledore never had a relationship with a woman. He couldn't stand their complex emotions and felt that it would hinder his logical way of thinking. "Wyatt is currently being held in the dungeon for his crimes against you Safrina."

Emeline blurted out a response, something incredibly out of character for her, "What?! You can't just lock him away like that! He deserves a trial!" 

Safrina was taken aback by her ex-mentor's outburst. Despite her knowledge of what he did to her, she still defended him.

"He admitted to what he did to Safrina Lady Strutton. Who of which may I remind you, is _your_ student."

Emeline sank into her chair; she knew there was nothing she could say to fix her beloved's predicament. As a last ditch effort, she looked at Safrina, silently pleading with her to say something to help Wyatt in his situation. He'd only acted that way because of how Safrina looked after all. She wore a tight and revealing dress that left little to the imagination. Surely would take mercy on the man.

Dumbledore watched the silent exchange between the girls. He stayed silent, curious to see if Safrina would allow herself to be manipulated by her professor. He was dumbfounded when he saw Safrina's anger morph into a smug satisfaction written all over the smirk upon her face. 

"Despite his admissions, he does indeed deserve a trial." Safrina watched the reactions of the others in the room. Dumbledore's stoic expression looked a tad disappointed, while relief washed through Emeline. Safrina wasn't done, however, and not wanting to miss the look on Emeline's face, she looked directly into the eyes of Emeline as she continued, "Might I suggest a trial by combat?" Safrina reveled at the sight of the great Lady Strutton's face crumbling into utter despair as she sobbed. Wyatt was not a wizard, nor was he gifted with a sword or bow. He worked in the library for a reason, a reason that Safrina intended to exploit as she ended his life. 

 


	10. Dreams

For the first time that Safrina could remember, Valladon boomed in her head with approval instead of the usual hostility. Anya's presence was felt, though the God could not be heard, as warmth spread throughout her body. The God of Nothing was nowhere within the depths of her mind; his dealings were strictly focused on all things concerning The Pit and nothing more. Safrina too was quite pleased with herself. Her quick decision to ask for trial by combat had been her choice alone, without influence from her Gods. It meant that she was learning, albeit was slow, she was learning nonetheless. 

She laid on the bed, Nylah conforming to the side of her body, and reflected on the meeting. Over the years at the orphanage, she gathered information about everyone that made up the administration. Yet Marcus Dumbledore was a man that remained a mystery to her. He did not socialize with those underneath his power outside of subjects regarding the orphanage. All she knew of him was that he was not a man to be tampered with, as he would not fall for any attempts that she had been taught. He would have to be backed into a corner. While trial by combat was frowned upon in the castle, it was a request that could not be denied if the victim was requesting it, not even by Dumbledore. 

Without any interaction with Safrina, Emeline automatically condemned her and cut her off completely. That behavior itself didn't phase Safrina, abrupt abandonment without reason was something that she'd grown used to over the years. What puzzled Safrina was the fact that Emeline still lusted after the disgusting excuse for a man, despite him openly admitting what he stole from Safrina. She saw what happened when Emeline fell in love despite her warnings on the matter and realized that falling in love is inevitable and that when it happens to her, she will leave him before it is too late, so she doesn't become the fool that Emeline has. She has far too much to lose to let it all wash away because of some damned fairy tale. 

With the prospect of love invading her mind, she drifted off into perhaps the most peaceful sleep of her life. 

 

~~~

 

_Her mother was brushing her hair as gently as she could with a squirming toddler. It seemed as though her daughter was afraid of the mirror._

_Concerned she asked, "Safrina what's the matter? Don't you like your pretty hair?"_

_Her four year old stuttered out, "M-monster behind you mama."_

_Her mother peered into the mirror but saw nothing. Humoring her daughter, she looked behind her and pretended to check for the monster. Still, her daughter shook with fear, so she picked her up and cradled her to her chest._

_"There there Safrina. Nothing can get you while your in mama's arms. I promise."_

_Safrina snuggled closer to her mother, her mother's warmth radiated throughout her body. Inhaling deeply, Safrina sought for her mother's scent, only to not be able to detect it._

_At the thought, everything disappeared, and she found herself in The Pit, or at least what she assumed was The Pit. She'd never been conscious in it before, but when she felt the intense loneliness and saw nothing but black as she sought out comfort, she knew she was not wrong._

_Then as quickly as it came, it vanished, and she was suddenly staring into the familiar deep blue eyes she'd almost forgotten. The comforting sense of calm enveloped her, and she found herself melting into it. This time when she took a deep breath, she was greeted by the familiar and soothing scent of Exander Sky; rum, sandalwood, and tobacco. Then the lips belonging to that pair of eyes, pressed against hers gently, and in response, she let out a soft moan._

 

~~~

 

Safrina awoke with a start. Her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to burst. She was exhausted, and yet her adrenaline forced her out of bed. She began pacing the length of her room as she sorted out her thoughts. The dream was fleeting, but she remembered something that had to do with her mom, but it was very vague and almost nothing. The next part she remembered clear as day. She knew those eyes, despite her futile attempt at forgetting them. What she wasn't prepared for, was the kiss. He was more than twice her age, and someone she knew as a child. They were generations apart in age, and yet her mind conjured it up in her head. What did this mean? She hadn't thought of him in so long that his memory felt like a lifetime ago, and yet she could recall most of their interactions perfectly in her brain.

Moreover, their kiss was pleasant. Safrina found herself moaning in her dream. A prospect that she could not seem to get out of her head, though it scared her. Could it be that perhaps some repressed part of her loves him? Or does she miss him so much that her mind mistakenly romanticized it out of proportion? She didn't have an answer for either one. At this point, all she knew for sure, was that she could not continue to pretend he didn't matter to her. In the short time they spent together, he taught her things that she could never learn from another. He taught her so much about herself and her voices, most importantly he showed her that she was valuable. She didn't know how, or why he saw that in her, but it was something she never forgot, even still, though she lost her only ally. 

She looked out her window. The moon was high in the sky still and would be for hours to come. Despite her exhaustion, she knew no additional sleep would happen to her that night. Safrina suddenly felt trapped. She took off her clothes, desperate for relief. It did little to calm her. Her eyes frantically flickered to all the items in her room. She felt like there was too much. She still had clothes from when she was a young child, stacked along the perimeter of her room. She refused to get rid of things when she arrived at the orphanage, claiming that her objects would never abandon her as people did. Now, it all seemed to taunt her as they loomed over her. 

She set to work quickly. She would purge her room of everything that was holding her back. She wanted to have as little ties to the things in her chambers as possible. It was as she was cleaning that she realized that while many people abandoned her in this life, it somehow always pushed her to be better; to adapt. The epiphany spurred her on. She didn't need items or people in her life, she never did. She vowed to herself that she would never allow herself that weakness again. Her dream was just that; a dream, nothing more. Yes, Exander would remain in the back of her mind always, but because she would never see him again, she allowed herself that one luxury. 

Satisfied with the lack of clutter in her room,  she decided to continue on her conquest and opted to sort through her current clothes in her chest. She tipped the chest in its entirety over, emptying its contents onto the floor. The minutes quickly ticked by as she sorted, deciding what to keep in this pile versus what to toss was harder than she anticipated. Finally, she finished. As she began to put the remaining clothes back into the chest, she noted a floorboard slightly ajar where the chest usually resided. She went to move it back into place, but as she did, she peeked underneath, not expecting to find anything. She was wrong in her assumption. 

Her heart skipped a beat before it threatened to pound out of her chest. There underneath the floorboard, was a brilliant blue teardrop sapphire, gleaming in the pale moonlight. The stone that severed her relationship with Exander and nearly ended her life was lying underneath her trunk all this time. 

She thought back to all the trouble it caused so many years ago. As a young child, she felt betrayed and abandoned by Exander. Now, however, she understands why he behaved the way he did. She gave him no choice. Whatever it was that he was protecting, was something that was bigger than herself, and threatened not only her life but his as well. She betrayed him, and in return, he defended her and framed someone else knowing full well what she had done. The question was why? Why would a well-respected professor who was so favored by the headmaster, want to protect a crazy and abandoned child? She never asked for his protection. In fact, when she met him, her Gods told her to stay away. Still, he looked after her as if she was a prized possession. Their kiss in her dream snuck its way into her mind, and she shook away the thought.

Timidly, she reached for the stone, still petrified of it. Though the rock was still relatively large, it fits better in her hand than she remembered. There was no note of any kind around the sapphire, so figuring out why he left it to her remained a mystery. The fact that she had it, however, meant one thing. Whatever it was guarding was no longer on castle grounds. Marcus would have turned the castle upsidedown trying to find it again. She guessed that the stone was left when Exander was departing, which if she was right meant that he had whatever sacred thing it was guarding.  

 

~~~

 

Exander paced the room of the inn he was staying in. The news of Safrina being found in a relatively good condition was a relief, but the news of why she ran away was something that filled him with a murderous rage. The thought of someone hurting his red head and putting their hands on her was something that made bile rise in his throat. He quickly washed it down with rum. He was pleased to hear that she requested a trial by combat. Though he was still worried about her wellbeing during the battle, he knew that she would outsmart him. After all, she'd already bested nearly everyone shes ever met, including him. He took another gulp of his rum in celebration at that.   

Safrina was fourteen. In two years she'll age out of the protection of the orphanage, which meant that Safrina will be completely alone without a roof over her head, and no one to keep her safe. There would be no way he would be able to stay in touch with how she was doing, and he would never see her again if he didn't finish is quest fast. 

In the first few years, his work was prolonged and ineffective. Most nobles don't care about the orphans or their well being. It wasn't until tensions in the West escalated into a civil war between the non-magicals and magicals. Once the threat of their existence was clear, most were fast to offer their protection to keep invaders at bay, seeing as how the orphanage is on the outskirts of the realm. Now, the numbers of men being sent to protect the castle were by the thousands. Marcus, of course, was not satisfied. Once again he raised the number of men he wanted to ten thousand. So far, Exander had managed to collect nearly seven thousand, which was no easy feat in itself. He worked even harder to appease Marcus, though he feared he would still want more anyway. He hardly slept, barely ate, and drank himself to sleep nearly every night from the stress. The thought of Safrina being alone in the world is what kept him going. He would not rest until he was able to be by her side again.      

        


	11. Fear

The day of the trial finally came. Tensions were at an all-time high in the castle and were felt by both orphans and administrators. Everyone was on edge out of worry for the young librarian. Most believed that he was tricked and seduced by Safrina, that she had somehow asked for it. 

Safrina, of course, paid them no mind. She only had one thing on her mind, and no one's opinion would stop her from bringing Emeline's beloved to his death. Her motive was no longer driven by what the man did to her. It was overshadowed by Emeline's behavior towards her.

In the days leading up to the trial, Emeline went from complete dismissal of Safrina, to actively sabotaging Safrina at any given opportunity. From dosing her food in a light poison to make her ill, to destroying her room, to capturing and torturing Nylah, Emeline made sure Safrina's life was in constant disarray. It was all child's play in Safrina's however. Her actions were a mere inconvenience at best. Her biggest concern was Nylah, but once Nylah assured her she was unharmed and had been through far worse from her previous owner, Safrina's focus returned to Emeline. She didn't seek out revenge over Emeline over her actions, rather her attempt at what she was really trying to accomplish. Emeline knew enough magic to seriously injure Safrina, yet she held back. Safrina knew that she was trying to sabotage her so that Wyatt would be able to kill her easier. Safrina was offended that Emeline thought that Wyatt had a chance at all. Emeline's attempts at only fueled Safrina's rage to not only kill Wyatt but to make him suffer and beg for death. Wyatt's transgressions, however, were an added bonus in her revenge. She would make sure no one in attendance would dare cross her or underestimate her again.

 

~~~

 

Dumbledore found Safrina lying on the grass in the courtyard, basking in the summer sun. 

"A word, Safrina?" he asked.

Safrina obliged and followed him into his office. Once both were seated on their respective sides of his desk, Dumbledore looked into the girl's eyes for the first time.

"Do you know what you're up against Safrina?"

Safrina was surprised by her headmaster's sudden concern and interest in her wellbeing, though she kept her composure on her face. 

"I am well aware of what a trial by combat entails my lord, that is why I requested it. I am aware that someone will die today."

"And yet you spend your morning lying in the sun. You should be preparing for this!"

_So he is concerned after all. Interesting._ Anya said. _The question is why?_  

"Pardon me my lord, but why do you care about my preparedness for the trial?"

"You're a student here of course! You're my responsibility!"

"Am I?" Safrina asked with amusement tinging her words.

Dumbledore stared at her incredulously. 

_That's it Safrina. Keep going._

"If I remember correctly, you didn't say a word to me since my arrival to your dear orphanage, until I went missing," Safrina leaned back in her chair and perched her feet upon his desk before continuing, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that your only concern is for your reputation, not my wellbeing."

Dumbledore's face grew bright red, and his nostrils flared as he breathed. As he attempted to stutter out a response, Anya was back in her ear. 

_Keep going! Before it's too late!_

Safrina stood up from her disrespectful position and loomed over her victim. Meeting his eyes, she declared, "I assure you, my lord, I am well prepared for the trial. I have been for quite some time, and I promise you, your reputation will be well protected." With that, she sauntered out of his office before he could come up with a response. 

Dumbledore simply stared after Safrina as she left his office. Her last haunting look resembled the stories his great-grandfather told him of Elriya. He had no idea how their conversation derailed that far off track. He merely wanted to help her prepare for the battle to come, not antagonize her. He replayed their exchange in his head. He'd witnessed a side of her that he never saw before. A part of her that made him second guess his only friend's work with her. He knew that Safrina had not lost the voices in her head, only grew into them. 

 

~~~

 

Safrina could hear people shuffling into the arena. Last she heard it was expected to be packed. Peaking out from the sidelines, she saw that it was in fact filled bottom to top with spectators. She had never seen it so full, and she reveled in that fact. She was glad that so many people would see what she had planned for Wyatt's demise. The trial would not end until someone would be officially declared dead, and she was ready to make this the lengthiest trial by combat people had ever seen. 

Emeline entered then, for once not bothering to wear her usual mask. Safrina knew all her cards--she always did, and it was unnecessary for her to keep up her charade in Safrina's presence. 

Her expression was vacant. Almost like she died herself. As usual, she did not look at Safrina, though now it seemed she could not bring herself to do it, rather than her typical tactic of trying to show dominance.

"Why are you here if you're not going to talk to me, Emeline?" Safrina opted to drop all etiquette in regards to Emeline.   

Emeline looked Safrina over for a moment before finally speaking to Safrina for the first time since she arrived back at the castle.

"Don't do this Safrina. Please! He is a good man I know he is!" She was on her knees before Safrina now, "This is my fault Safrina! If you didn't try to seduce him as I said, he wouldn't have touched you!"

_Silence her!_ Anya hissed.     

 "Enough!" Safrina grasped Emeline's chin in her hand and tilted upward so that she could look directly into her eyes. "Wyatt is going to die tonight, and you will be the one to blame. You will have to live with his death as a result of your actions until the end of your days." 

Safrina turned with a snap and elegantly glided out of the room, out into the arena. 

Silence fell over the arena as Safrina made her entrance.

_Already commanding attention the second you walk out. Impressive._

Safrina took her place next to the announcer. She then spotted Wyatt being brought out by castle servants. Her eyes never left Wyatt, watching him like a lioness ready to pounce on her prey. She did not hear when the cannon was shot, signifying the start of the trial. She did not register the lunge Wyatt clumsily made towards her. She did not remember evading him effortlessly as he continued his attempted attacks. Safrina saw nothing and heard nothing. She merely felt the presence of Anya and The God of Nothing. 

When the Gods left her mind, Wyatt was lying on the ground panting as he tried to catch his breath. The hard part was over thanks to her Gods. Now was the fun part, gifted to her by the Gods. 

She walked a lap around the spent man, appraising her prey, logging every angle of his body into her mind. She wanted to have him memorized before she would begin her torture. 

Completing the lap and resuming her place at his head, she slowly pulled out her wand. She wanted to savor this moment for as long as possible. She could practically feel the anticipation radiating from the audience and her victim. She strived to give them a proper show and give them all a performance no one would ever forget.  

With her wand fully extracted, she dramatically held it to her side, slightly more extended from her body than usual so the audience would be able to see. After a few beats, she raised her wand directly up and pointed it towards the sky. The audience gasped, and Wyatt cowered behind his hands. At first, her position was intended for dramatic effect, but when she felt a sudden surge of energy and her Gods in her head swirl around in excitement, she had trouble containing it all within her. As a result, a flash of blue light exploded from her wand. The force of it nearly knocked her off her feet and sent a fierce breeze around the arena on its way out as it expanded and then dissipated. 

She looked down at the man before her and waited until he met her gaze. When he did, her eyes bore into his, and she felt as if she could see clearly who he was. He was a weak and nonmagical man. He has no profound potential or any kind of unique skill set or trait. He was average. An average man who had a weakness. His weakness was the same weakness he saw in Emeline. Love. Both loved each other and did things out of character when their passion was threatened. When Emeline learned of Wyatt's crime, she did not see it as a crime because she was in love with him and could not see him clearly. When Wyatt learned of Emeline's alleged betrayal, he took out his woes on Safrina. An act that Safrina thought was very out of character for him. Safrina saw everything that made up her attacker and would use it all to destroy both he and Emeline. 

Safrina was grateful for the silence inside her head. The Gods truly gifted her this moment and left her to enjoy her gift however she saw fit. She knew it was another test the Gods subtly gave her, but she was up for the challenge. She moved to address the crowd.

"Wizards and Witches! I am grateful for your attendance this evening." She gestured with her wand towards Wyatt in a sharp and precise movement, "Wyatt of a house that no one would recognize," she paused for what she suspected to be nervous laughter, "is a thief." 

The chorus of audible gasps signified that no one was actually aware of his crimes, and Safrina would gladly inform them of a grand plot she quickly put together in that moment to gain sympathy. 

"He stole many things actually. The first being a book from the restricted section of his beloved library he _used_ to work at. The second, my virtue." 

As she said virtue, she produced a spell that was far too advanced for her age, to demonstrate just a taste of her capabilities. 

" _Levicorpus_!"

In an instant, Wyatt was hanging upside down in midair.

Once again, Safrina waited for the audience's reaction to what had just transpired, Wyatt squirming and pathetically pleading with Safrina all the while. 

"You see, I saw Wyatt with my own eyes, take the book as he was leaving the library through the back door." Emeline was being held back by several guards on the sidelines at that point, and Safrina maintained eye contact with her as she finished her story. "Then years later, I spotted the book in Emeline's quarters."

Once again, she gave the audience a moment to react to the news. As if on cue, once the audience quieted down a bit, Wyatt passed out from being upside down for so long. She decided to wake him by flinging his body into the nearest boulder. 

Wyatt awoke with a groan. Safrina quickly looked over at Emeline who was now on her knees, wearing a broken expression on her face as she met Safrina's eyes. Their eye contact was short but communicated Emeline's surrender and Safrina's indifference on the matter. Nothing would make Safrina lose her resolve, not now. 

She was, however, deterred by her lack of knowledge regarding wizardry. While she was ahead of her class, she was nowhere near where she would like to be at this moment in time. She recalled spells that could do severe damage to Wyatt, but she, unfortunately, had yet to master them. What she had learned, was being resourceful. She may not know any of the advanced spells yet, but she did know how to manipulate objects around her. 

Her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings. Stone floor, giant boulders, and torches made up the center of the arena. Not much to work with, but it was something. Because she already used the rock, she set her eyes on another prop; fire. 

Initially, she intended to use a simple spell,  _wingardium leviosa,_ but when she pointed her wand towards the lit torch, she felt a wave of flickering energy that was intense yet unpredictable, emanating from its tip. It almost felt like fire itself. She then attempted something she did not think was possible. Instead of targeting the wood of the torch, she focused on the fire itself. 

Controlling the fire was unlike anything she had ever known regarding magic. Up until now, magic was something that was relatively easy to manage once you perfected the technique. Controlling an element, however, was a different sensation altogether, much less fire. The wild flames whipped around seemingly on their own as she fought for control. It took all her strength just to drag the fire towards Wyatt. His screams when the flames made contact with his skin broke Safrina's concentration she lost control of much of the flames. She was suddenly grateful for the stone that surrounded them, the rogue flames dissipated quickly without a material that they could cling to available.

The fire was burning up Wyatt's legs far too quickly for Safrina's liking, so she set about gaining back control. This time, it seemed to have a stronger will to grow and was even more defiant than before. Safrina raised her free hand up to aid in her efforts and planted her feet firmly against the stone. At last, she was able to gain control and kept the flames from growing any further. By now the flames were just beginning to lick at his groin, and Safrina held it there for sometime before she allowed it to fully engulf the area.

Safrina released all control she had once the flames began to cross on to his torso. She collapsed to her knees from the draining energy it took to wield fire. Wyatt's final screams acted as a musical number that closed out her twisted performance. 

As the screams began to die down, Safrina looked over at Emeline. She expected to see her distraught or angry or perhaps even slightly deranged, but to her surprise, Emeline's tear stained face was wide-eyed in awe, staring back at her. Fear tinged her eyes once she realized Safrina was looking at her. Then Emeline did an even more bizarre act. She bowed her head ever so slightly.    

Today Safrina learned many things. The most important being one that Emeline taught her oddly enough. Seduction is a powerful tool to use to manipulate those who fall victim to it. However, there is something even more powerful that would surpass manipulation, and inspire devotion.

Fear.             

      


End file.
